09 Dec 2022
Last week, MRHS students Carl Zirilli, Luca Brighenti and Jonathan Davies ventured up to Sydney with their entourage of STEM aficionados from Year 9 to pitch their rover design in Phase 2 of the Australian Virtual Astronaut Challenge.
The group was selected through their participation in the Robotics Team last year. They were challenged to develop and pitch a lunar rover that will collect soil samples and potentially extract oxides with a view to eventually supporting life on the moon.
A lesser team would have crumbled under the pressure of delivering to the panel of experts including:
- Ted Tagami (Education Chair at the International Space Station US National Laboratory and CEO of Magnitude.io)
- Julia Dickinson (Chief Engineer Lockheed Martin)
- Joel Connolly (Creative Director & Head of Blackbird Foundation)
- Professor Russel Boyce (Chair for Intelligent Space Systems, Director of UNSW Canberra Space)
- Chris Jewell (Program Manager Director Lockheed Martin)
The boys, however, delivered their presentation expertly, even raising the odd chuckle from the judges.
Unfortunately, the team were bested by Tara Anglican College from North Parramatta, but the competition was, by all accounts, incredibly close.
The trip wasn’t all work for the group. Basing themselves in Bulli, the team managed to take a tour of the Wollongong University campus, hit the beach and check out the view from Sublime Point Lookout. They also got to visit the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and marvel at their Space exhibits.
“It was a great opportunity to take students to be part of the Australian Virtual Astronaut Challenge,” explains STEM teacher and team coach Chris Parkin, “They got to meet industry professionals and get a taste of the STEM world. We’ll use the feedback to prepare for our next big challenges and hone Murrumbidgee into a STEM force to be reckoned with.”
The Young Space Explorers (YSE) event and the Great Space Pitch (GSP) was part of the Australian Virtual Astronaut (AVA) program delivered by the SISP program and made available to MRHS students through the Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence.
Great work boys. Congratulations on making it so far in the competition!
