A number of HSD pupils ventured to Florida last month for the STEM trip of a lifetime, with highlights including indoor skydiving, photos with an astronaut and a live rocket launch.
The group of 66 pupils and 6 staff members spent the first three days of their trip at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre on Merritt Island.
The centre, which was founded in 1967, is a premier multi-user spaceport which is home to iconic spacecraft including the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Saturn V moon rocket.
While there, HSD pupils were given the chance to visit and photograph areas of the facility which are usually restricted, including a launchpad and the Vehicle Assembly Building.
They also tried their hand at coding lunar robots, rode a space shuttle simulator, touched and met up with former astronaut Bob Cenker for a Q and A.
Following their time at the space centre, pupils and staff kept the adrenaline pumping with a visit to Universal Studios and an indoor skydiving experience.
The trip ended with a bang as students witnessed the launch of Space X’s Falcon Heavy rocket from the comfort of a fan boat in the alligator-infested swamps of Everglades National Park.
F3 HSD pupil Finn said: “This STEM trip to Florida was cool – part of what made it was the friends we made along the way.”
Fraser, who is in F5, added: “The STEM trip was eye-opening and a great collaborative experience.”
