Space camp for St Andrew’s as SA students name our satellite

It’s an alien concept to most Aussie students but the dawn of SA’s space age has already opened a new frontier for these lucky Adelaide youngsters.

School students in South Australia are getting space fever.

St Andrew’s School in Walkerville is holding a space camp this week during the school holidays, letting students get a glimpse into life beyond Earth.

They will simulate a weightless “moonwalk” by going scuba diving, learn coding, build a moon rover, experience virtual reality and end the week by blasting off a rocket.

Science teacher and qualified engineer Chris Boden and fellow teacher and marine biologist Daniel Hannigan are leading the St Andrew’s space force fun.

“In line with the SA government’s growth state agenda, our emphasis is very much on future-focused education,” Mr Boden said.

“We believe that the space camp, through a series of action-packed, fun and educational adventures, will ignite students’ interests and enhance their learning in these areas.

St Andrew's School students Corbin Katz and Victoria Staniszewski are taking part in the space camp. Picture: Ben Macmahon

“We start each day with a mission briefing and a stint of astronaut fitness before heading off on a space-related exploration either on the school grounds or at local destinations such as the Space Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen in the city, Adelaide Scuba in Glenelg, and The Planetarium on UniSA’s Mawson Lakes Campus.”

Students needed to apply to join the space camp, with year 7 Corbin Katz, 12, and year 3 Victoria Staniszewski, 8, among the lucky ones on the mission.

“One day I would like to have a career as an astronaut, an artist or a doctor,” Victoria said.

“The thing about space camp I’m most looking forward to is scuba diving, because you get to find out what it is like to walk in zero gravity.

“I also can’t wait to do virtual reality because I want to feel what it is like to be in outer space.”

The camp is taking place as SA students compete to name the state’s own satellite which is being built by local company Inovor Technologies in partnership with Myriota and the Smartsat CRC in a project funded by the state government.

Schools are entitled to submit one entry, which is due by 5pm on Friday, July 3, with the winning name to be announced at the 12th Australian space forum in September.

“We are looking for a name which reflects SA’s heritage, culture and values,” Premier Steven Marshall said.

The $6.5 million satellite project will provide real time data for to assist in land management, bushfire response and other services.

Space X founder Elon Musk

Meanwhile, SA company Fleet Space Technologies has a nanosatellite aboard the Falcon 9 rocket owned by Elon Musk’s Space X. It was due to launch during a 58-minute window starting 4:26am ACST on Wednesday but countdown was delayed for at least a day after an aircraft entered the launch range.

Fleet Space’s Centauri 4 – the size of a shoebox – will go into low Earth orbit.

Such nano satellites are viewed as having major and growing importance in the space industry.

“Space is no longer the sole domain of governments and multi-billion dollar satellites,” Fleet Space chief executive Flavia Tata Nardini said.

“Space is open for business and we’re only just starting to tap into what is possible.”