It can’t have escaped your notice that EARTH’s neighbouring planet MARS seems that little bit closer to us, after three missions arrived at their destination, in the space of a week during February half-term 2021. We might have been in lockdown but NASA’s plutonium powered PERSEVERANCE was about to touchdown on the RED PLANET, after a journey of 480 million kilometres and an unforgettable seven minutes of terror!

To mark this monumental achievement FHS Mission Control (Dr Price and Mrs Marshall) have been running a wonderful three-week activity  –  Mars Lander Competition (code name RESILIENCE) with the Years 7 and 8 STEAM Club. Based on the Mars Lander, the girls have been designing a protective carriage to safely see an egg land from one of the highest points of the school. Weather permitting, The Drop (seven seconds of terror or thereabouts) will be taking place on Thursday 25th March as the mission scientists attempt their controlled egg landing.

FHS Space Control under the guidance of Mission Control have been busy with their science briefings, prototype build and tests, testing and construction of the protective carriages ready for the launch! The countdown begins….