Sixth graders from Lambeth Public School in London had an out-of-this-world experience after winning a national space competition called the Lunar Rover Research Challenge.
Vandana Bhalla is a grade six teacher at Lambeth Public School. She entered 27 of her students into the Lunar Rover Research Challenge, and the three who made up “Team Selene” came out on top. More than 3,500 students participated across the country.
Each group who entered the challenge had the same mission: develop a plan to find ice and water on the moon. Team Selene was one of four winning teams nationwide. Their prize? A chance to embark on a virtual space journey along with the rest of their class.
What a thrill for Mrs. Bhalla's class as they embarked on a Lunar Rover Ice Mission. What an incredible opportunity for students. Thank you to LetsTalk Science who's staff member said they have never seen a teacher teach the Space Unit like Mrs. B! pic.twitter.com/B5tzPgKtVv
— Lambeth P.S. (@LambethPS1) December 13, 2022
Bhalla said her class was visited by representatives from Let’s Talk Science, Canadensys Aerospace Corporation, and Avalon Space. The children explored a simulated moon environment and had the opportunity to operate a real lunar rover – a space exploration vehicle that moves across the surface of the moon.
During their visit, the space professionals broke classmates up into various groups and put each student into a specialized role. Bhalla said the sixth graders were challenged to take initiative, make quick decisions, and voice their ideas.
“The mission itself got students out of their comfort zone. The students who are shy and don’t like to speak publicly were able to communicate with other teams. They had to critically think about their decisions and work with other groups,” Bhalla explained. “Not only that, but they realized that they were a part of history in the making while coding the rover and getting the scientific readings.”
Bhalla said her pupils were “pumped up” knowing they got to experience groundbreaking space technology in the classroom. Canadensys will be sending Canada’s first lunar rover to the moon as soon as 2026.
The Lunar Rover Research Challenge is presented by Let’s Talk Science, Canadensys, and Avalon Space, with support from the Canadian Space Agency. The challenge, geared towards youth aged 11 to 14, helps students learn about Canada’s role in space, explore careers in the space sector, and plan their own space missions.
Next, Bhalla’s class will be tackling the Canadian Space Agency’s Space Brain Hack, a challenge that focuses on astronaut mental health.
