Over the Moon! Students Take a Giant Leap into Space Education
06-05-2025
Youngsters, from Years 5 and 6 at St Piran’s and Furze Platt Junior School, developed ideas to send a message from Earth to the far side of the Moon.
More than 200 students at St Piran’s School, Maidenhead, took a lunar leap this week learning about the European Space Agency's Moonlight programme, with a special visit from future astronaut Meganne Christian.
Youngsters, from Years 5 and 6 at St Piran’s and Furze Platt Junior School, developed ideas to send a message from Earth to the far side of the Moon —the real-life plan for Moonlight. Programme leads Telespazio and Viasat are aiming to develop a satellite ‘data highway’ for communications and navigations on and around the Moon by 2030.
The event was also hosted with the UK Space Agency along with industry experts SSTL, MDA Space, CGI, Astroscale, and PA Consulting.
Ben Colton, Head of Market Analysis and Business Intelligence, European Space Agency, said: “Today was a fantastic showcase of how excited young people are about the space industry when they are given the opportunity to see its potential. Thank you to all our experts and partners for making it a day they won’t forget.”
Mark Moravits, Global Social Impact Lead, Viasat, said: “Inspiring the next generation to get involved in the space sector is vital, so it’s great to be working with ESA and our partners to show students that STEM careers could take them all the way to the Moon.”