Hazlegrove pupils’ models return from NASA rocket flight

Pupils from Hazlegrove Prep School were delighted when their emoji models were returned safely to them by NASA.

Reaching for the stars is something that most people only dream of, but a group of eager budding astronauts got a lot closer to it than most. Pupils from Hazlegrove Prep School were delighted when their emoji models were returned safely to them by NASA. As part of a microgravity experiment, the children made polymer clay figures in Design Technology which were only allowed to weigh 4g to fly at a velocity of 6,659kph and 205km above the earth aboard the NASA Water Recovery Rocket, NASA SµGRE-1 Rocket.

Head of Design Technology Bonnie Barton said, ‘DT is a major part of STEM; this was an exciting challenge where the children had the opportunity to combine creativity and experimentation. The children used their learning from science to discuss and decide on the best materials to use for their figures based on the properties and characteristics and applied mathematical calculations in order to work out the scale, weight and amount of polymer clay we could use to create the figures. It was a fantastic way to engage the children and they were fascinated to see that their figures returned home intact and unchanged.’