Pupils get glimpse of space careers

Forget out-of-class experiences — George Street Normal School pupils got an out-of-this-world experience yesterday.

About 30 pupils were the first to experience Otago Museum’s latest exhibition, the "Tuhura Tuarangi Aotearoa in Space" science showcase.

The interactive exhibition was developed in Dunedin and allows visitors to launch a rocket, build a satellite, and take a virtual reality space tour.

It also allows visitors to touch a titanium tank from the Russian Kosmos 482 space probe which was bound for Venus when it exploded in low-Earth orbit after launching in March 1972.

The tank, believed to be a possible cause of the explosion, was found on a North Otago farm.

Otago Museum science engagement co-ordinator Dr Andrew Mills said the main mission was to share stories of New Zealanders working at the cutting edge of space technology in the hope it would inspire young visitors to imagine themselves in a career in space science.

"When you’re from a small, isolated country, it’s easy to underestimate our role globally.

"We want the next generation of Kiwis to see what others have achieved already, and what is possible.

"There is a huge and growing array of careers in the space sector right here in Aotearoa.

"We want kids to be inspired to take part in that."

The showcase was funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment and was created in partnership with the New Zealand Space Agency, with the help of companies and research organisations from across the country.

Once the debut showcase had closed in Dunedin, it would begin a nationwide tour, beginning in Bluff on October 31, he said.

"There is a 4-billion-year-old meteorite, space junk that crash-landed into Aotearoa, a black hole simulation, and some other really fascinating stuff."