Students at Fisher Park Public School were over the moon with excitement to join Canadian Space Agency and NASA astronauts and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a special event showcasing Canada’s role in lunar exploration.
In April, a group of students from Meghan Polowin and Cameron Wallace’s grade 7 and 8 Science classes met the crew that will be flying to the moon on the upcoming Artemis II mission. The students’ participation in this event was made possible through an invitation from Let’s Talk Science, and the event featured guests from the Canadian Space Agency and NASA.
Twenty Fisher Park students visited the Canada Aviation and Space Museum to meet Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, Prime Minister Trudeau, and Minister François-Philippe Champagne.
Photos by Adam Scotti, Office of the Prime Minister. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the members of the Artemis II crew and industry experts, and participates in an industry panel discussion.”
During the event, students visited stations showcasing cutting-edge space technologies, including a virtual-reality space walk and demonstrations of remote-controlled lunar rovers. The experience allowed them to see first-hand the exciting career opportunities that the STEM field has to offer.
According to the staff team, this event was one of the most memorable experiences in the students’ educational journey so far. “Every student said this was the best field trip they’ve ever been on,” said Ms. Polowin. “We had a bus full of smiles on our way home!” added Mr. Wallace.
Photos by Matthew Stewart, Canadian Space Agency
Here’s what students had to say about their experience:
“It was probably the coolest experience of my life. It was really awesome having this opportunity to meet such prestigious people.” - Chesel L.
“J'ai tellement appris et je suis très reconnaissante que j'ai rencontré les astronautes qui vont à la lune! / I am so happy I got to see and play with one of the real prototypes of one of the rovers going to the moon!” – Florence H.
“A great experience to learn more about space first hand, with advanced technology and the astronauts themselves.” – Nayla R.
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This wasn’t the students’ first foray into the field of space exploration. Earlier this year, Fisher Park students participated in the Canada Space Agency Space Brain Hack, where they came up with solutions to help astronauts maintain their mental health, well-being, and connections with loved ones on long-duration journeys in space. Three groups of Fisher Park students soared to the Top 10 Space Brain Hack winners in Canada for their innovative ideas, including virtual reality hiking, a Calm Crate, and a space bicycle!