On Tuesday, Year 7 girls spent the day at the Airbus Foundation Discovery Space (AFDS) in Stevenage. The Centre, which opened in May 2017, leverages the inspirational power of the ExoMars Rover and its state-of-the-art testing yard that simulates the surface of Mars, alongside exhibits, classroom and workshop spaces.

The purpose of the visit was for the girls to develop their problem solving skills and their understanding of the space industry by taking part in practical workshops involving real life applications of Mathematics and Physics.

Eva Ng, Radha Katechia and Sarah Pepper enjoyed the hands-on experience and said: “On Tuesday, we visited the Airbus STEM centre in Stevenage. Known for its Mars exhibition and ExoMars Rover prototypes, the centre provided us with wonderful experiences and handfuls of useful information. On arrival we were greeted by Shell Fearn, the Centre Manager. She told us all about AFDS, including its motto: Explore, Create and Inspire. And we certainly did.

“We explored the Solar System by watching a fascinating 45minute 3D video, which explained how the Universe came to be. We created a working paper banger, experiencing more scientific wonders. We were inspired by the helpful team at the Centre who guided us throughout the day. Overall, the trip was enjoyed by all. We would recommend it to everyone.”