Do you know a high school student that can’t get enough of space, science, technology, engineering and maths?
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They might like to apply to go to Space Squad in Canberra these school holidays. It is an immersive experience for high school students in Years 7-9 and runs from April 23-27.
The camp is now in its third year and this five-day event takes high school students from across Australia to some of the core space facilities in the country including the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Communications Complex (DSCC), which hosts a piece of Moon rock, along with many large radio telescopes. The biggest of which is Deep Space Station 43 (DDS 43) with a diameter of 70 metres.
This dish can send and receive radio signals from deep space, communicating with the Voyager spacecraft that left Earth in 1977 and has been travelling out of our solar system ever since at a speed of 61,000 km/h.
This dish can send and receive radio signals from deep space, communicating with the Voyager spacecraft that left Earth in 1977 and has been travelling out of our solar system ever since at a speed of 61,000 km/h.
Space Squad presenter Glen Nagle is a living legend and is often featured on TV being interviewed about everything deep space, including NASA’s and Australia’s role in exploring the solar system and universe.
This facility also hosts the retired radio telescope that was located at Honeysuckle Creek and pivotal in relaying the signal during Neil Armstrong’s and Buzz Aldrin’s Moon landing in 1969.
As well as visiting DSCC, Space Squad Cadets will also visit Questacon for an exclusive after-hours tour and makerspace challenge.
The tour explores many dimensions of space including Questacon’s Cloud Chamber and the detection of Alpha, Beta and other types of subatomic particles that are constantly zooming around our universe.
Space Squad also travels to Mount Stromlo Observatory, learning about the cutting edge research carried out in their micro-satellite testing facility.
The keynote address at the Gala dinner is given by none other than Professor Brad Tucker, a larger than life scientist who studies cosmology, dark energy; the energy that is driving the expansion of the universe and supernovae; the explosions that occur at the end of a star’s life when it runs out of fuel to burn.
Space Squad participants will also get to look through a variety of telescopes at Mount Stromlo and learn about how to navigate the night sky.
There are plenty of hands-on activities at Space Squad, from learning how to fly drones to making your own spectroscope, launching high pressure air rockets and learning how to use a telescope.
This is a great opportunity for students from this region.
The price is $499 which includes all costs for activities, meals and accommodation in Canberra.
However, it does not include the price of travel to Canberra, which will be a separate cost.
To apply and find out more head to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YSpaceSquad/
Alternatively, you can apply directly at: https://mailchi.mp/ymca.org.au/space-squad