Sisters celebrate success on space missions
A TEENAGER’s vision of a “ceLEICtial city centre”, where aliens and humans live side-byside has won a prize.
Shreya Bland, 16, was presented with a signed image of astronaut Major Tim Peake and a family ticket to Leicester Space Centre after being declared winner of Space Park Leicester’s competition to create a piece of art showing what “Space City Leicester” might look like in the future.
Pupils in years one to 11 were invited to take part in the competition as part of celebrations to mark the official opening of the city’s new hub for space teaching, research and enterprise by Tim in March.
Shreya, a year 11 student at Beauchamp College, Oadby, took inspiration from her graphic communications GCSE. She said: “I imagined a future Leicester with a mixed alien and human society, with both species living together.
“I thought that most of the buildings and landmarks would have been modernised, which gave me the idea of drawing the Clock Tower surrounded by a futuristic city centre.
“I have also just finished a project for my graphic communications GCSE which centred on space. I used inspiration from my work to help design the art for the competition, which I named CeLEICtial City Centre.”
Shreya, accompanied by her older sister Sarina, 18, received a tour of Space Park Leicester. The pair handled meteorites from Mars and the moon and met with Dr Suzie Imber, associate professor in space physics at the University of Leicester, and John Holt, engineer at the University of Leicester Space Research Centre, to learn more about the Mars Sample Return Mission.
Sarina, an aspiring astrophysicist, developed an interest in space after visiting the National Space Centre as a youngster.
The Year 13 Leicester High student will represent England at the United Space School in Houston, Texas, to plan a mission to Mars this summer.
She said: “The purpose is to plan a manned mission to Mars with other students from around the world. I am very honoured I have been chosen to represent England.
“We will work in teams based on different parts of the mission such as crew health, mission control and Mars transit. We will also have lectures from industry specialists, Nasa engineers and even astronauts to help us plan our mission.”
The United Space School is a programme that annually brings together up to 50 students from 25 different nations to study at the University of Clear Lake.
Under the mentorship of engineers, scientists, and leaders in the aerospace industry, they come together to design their own Mission
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to Mars. On her return, Sarina, is looking forward to expanding her knowledge by doing work experience at Space Park Leicester.
She said: “I found visiting Space Park Leicester incredibly exciting. It is amazing to hear about the work being done there and the future plans for analysing samples from Mars.”
Building on Leicester’s 61-year history of space research, the £100 million Space Park Leicester offers shared laboratories and teaching facilities that will place Leicester at the forefront of space technology in the UK.