Youngsters go science-mad at Bromsgrove event (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Youngsters go science-mad at Bromsgrove event

10:20am Monday 23rd July 2012 in News

YOUNGSTERS from schools across Bromsgrove went space-mad at an event hosted by North Bromsgrove High School.

Pupils from St John’s, Catshill, Parkside, Aston Fields and Alvechurch middle schools gathered at the School Drive-based school for a space exploration themed day, organised by VEX Robotics, the NASA sponsored educational robot supplier.

Students competed head-to-head at the event, held on July 11, to see which school’s pupils could complete the most number of space-themed challenges with remote controlled robots.

After an exciting competition, Catshill Middle School managed to overcome St John’s in the final.

In the afternoon, the pupils met a real rocket scientist who worked on the Mars Rover project.

The students were given access to NASA supplied software and real rocket motors, and were challenged to design and build rockets that could travel 50m through the air and land on a target.

Incredibly, despite time restrictions, winning team Prince Henry’s High School managed to land their rocket right on top of the target.

Mark Banwell, from North Bromsgrove High School, said: “The UK space industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK economy “Students who engage with days like this will be the rocket scientists of the future.”