From BVIS to Nasa Space Centre: An opportunity to explore humanity's giant leap

‘My trip was over my expectations. I visited the Mission Control room, watched how they work as a group and also found out lots of interesting things about the astronaut training program, the space shuttle, the ISS and how a real space suit feels.’– Alex, Year 12 student

‘Having the opportunity to visit NASA was an absolute once-in-a-lifetime experience, learning about Apollo 13, the tragedy leading to the Challenger Space Shuttle in 1986. At the same time disappointingly, I learned that aliens aren't mystical green creatures but most likely bacteria.' – Kayla, Year 11 student

‘I never knew how the wiring of the space shuttle worked nor how stressful the job of people in Mission Control really is until today.’ – Tin Tin, Year 10 student

These are the wonderful insights shared by BVIS students after their educational visit to NASA's Space Center in Houston, Texas. Over the week from June 16 to 22, 2024, 11 students from Years 10 to 13 participated in a busy schedule with many exciting activities, including:

• Visiting NASA's Space Center in Houston and the Mission Control
• Experiencing astronaut training
• Visiting the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the aquarium, and the Fine Arts Museum
• Watching a soccer match of the Houston Dynamo at the stadium
• Touring universities such as the University of Houston and University of St. Thomas

This is the first time BVIS students had the special opportunity to visit NASA's Space Center, thanks to the collaboration between BVIS and The Village School, a member school of the Nord Anglia Education, located in Houston, Texas. We hope that this trip provided our students with unique knowledge and experiences, nurturing their passion for science and inspiring them to pursue big dreams in the future.