Huntsville, we have a problem
by Marissa Godwin, Head of Students Year 7 | Teacher of English
Six staff. 48 students. 54 suitcases on departure from Perth. Two foreign countries, nine American states, one rocket launch and a 50-song strong space-themed playlist.
The trip of a lifetime.
I was very fortunate to accompany a group of Years 10-12 students to America as they fulfilled their dream to participate in Space Camp.
Located in Huntsville, Alabama, the Advanced Academy Space Program allows students to immerse themselves in STEM experiences as well as astronaut training exercises and team-building through realistic mission simulations. Although staff weren’t allowed to participate, we saw the students each day and observed some of their missions and activities.
Hayley Bastin (Year 11) reflected on her experiences in Space Camp as ‘an unforgettable experience that truly enriched our minds and souls to the glories and deep history of space and space exploration.’
“Over the holidays I had the experience of a lifetime in Huntsville, Alabama - Space Camp. There, we were rocket scientists, pilots, aerospace engineers and astronauts. We took on challenges like launching model rockets, scuba diving and climbing a 30-foot utility pole before jumping to grab a suspended trapeze bar from an unstable base.
By running mission simulations; we gained invaluable insights into both working in space as an astronaut and running Mission Control on the ground. We not only got a behind-the-scenes look at the space race, but also the technologies involved.
My personal favourite was getting to see one of the actual remaining three Saturn Vs - truly breathtaking. I’m unbelievably grateful for this opportunity and I’m sure that no one will ever forget this lifechanging experience.”
But Space Camp wasn’t the only highlight of our incredible 17-day trip. We travelled to San Francisco, immediately jumping on a double-decker bus to see the main sights. Our adrenaline kept us going for a time, but even Ms Fay’s heated jacket couldn’t stand up against the wind on the Golden Gate Bridge!
Thankfully, our next full day brought sunshine as we navigated the Exploratorium, an interactive museum and laboratory focused on art and science and notorious Alcatraz. I believe there is photographic evidence of a small group of students trying to lock Mr Birrell in a jail cell; luckily, we didn’t leave anyone behind permanently.
In our travel towards Alabama, we definitely took the long way around! Within 10 hours our group had touched down in four different states and staff had three opportunities for ‘transit photos.’
Entering each new security check, we wondered if this one was ‘shoes off’ or not, and if we had to keep our laptops and iPads in our bags; every single airport was different. And of course, there was always at least one person from our group whose hand luggage was pulled aside, either for liquids over 100ml or some other edible contraband.
Snapshots from Space Camp, 2024
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible staff who accompanied this trip. Kirsty Bulloch, Anna Pargeter, Tim Birrell, Peter Chandler and Hannah Fay – you, my friends, are the A team! They were on-call 24/7 for 48 students, troubleshooting and adapting with a moment’s notice, while ensuring each student was safe and happy.
These staff gave up time with their families and forwent the downtime that all teachers need after a busy term! I’m so grateful to have been selected; this trip afforded me the opportunity to get to know students I haven’t taught before and to reconnect with others.
I’d also like to acknowledge the incredible efforts of Peter Chandler, Tim Birrell, Kalea Haran, Brad Ramsay and Stephen Cooper for their support and tireless efforts in resurrecting Space Camp.
Six staff, 48 students, three flight suits, 60-something suitcases and 40 additional pieces of hand luggage upon arrival in Perth. A bag with six Macy’s jumpers, a retired blue Walmart medical bag and 54 new friends, forever connected.
Some more snapshots from Space Camp, 2024
Caitlin Harwood (Year 11) reflects
We began Advanced Space Academy at the museum for an overview of what the camp was going to be like. The next day we started training for our first mission and learnt how rovers are used to collect samples before building our own. We went scuba diving, where we had to work together to build structures and solve problems.
Completing our first mission was a bit stressful, but really fun. In our next mission training we changed roles to experience different responsibilities.
Some highlights of the camp include the 1/6th chair, which mimics what it’s like to walk on the moon with 1/6th of the earth’s gravity, and the multi-force axis trainer (MAT) which you get strapped into and spun around in. We visited the aviation site, learnt how to fly an F17 fighter jet, and saw a plane that was actually in Top Gun! We also learnt how space suits work and the role of heat shields during re-entry, before testing our own with eggs and a blow torch.
On the final morning, we all graduated and our team won the outstanding team award. Before we knew it, we were on the road again.
