To celebrate the imminent launch of NASA’s Artemis programme, and humanity’s return to the Moon, the Science Department is launching a whole-school half-term challenge.

🌕 WHY
Artemis marks a landmark moment in space exploration, with astronauts preparing to orbit and land on the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. This challenge invites students to engage with real, current science and think like the scientists and engineers shaping our future.

🧠 WHAT
Students are challenged to Design a Moon Base capable of supporting astronauts to live and work safely on the Moon. Designs should consider living spaces, power, life support, protection from the Moon’s environment and areas for scientific research.

✏️ HOW
Entries can be submitted as:

• a labelled drawing

• a 3D model

• or a digital design

Creativity and scientific thinking are encouraged.

📅 WHEN
Deadline: Friday 28th February

Theme: Space Exploration, Physics, Chemistry 

Summary: This special classroom edition of The Martian follows astronaut Mark Watney’s survival after being stranded on Mars. Using science and problem-solving skills, Watney tackles challenges like growing food and creating water in an alien environment. The book emphasizes resilience, creative thinking, and practical applications of science. 

Why It’s Suitable: It’s filled with real-world science but presented in an exciting and approachable way, making it perfect for students interested in space and survival challenges. 

👉 https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Explore real missions, spacecraft, astronauts and Moon-to-Mars plans.

Hidden Figures is a 2016 biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and adapted from Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. It dramatizes the true story of three African American mathematicians—Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—whose work at NASA was pivotal to the success of early U.S. space missions.