Tuesday, 25 July 2023
Astronaut costumes, air rockets and a gravity demonstration using a BMX bike were all part of an interactive event celebrating the legacy of the Apollo moon landing, and the role engineers played in its success.
Hosted at the 糖心原创’s Lakeside Arts, was attended by more than 150 adults and children who came along to learn all about the story of the lunar landing in a presentation delivered by Assistant Professor Jez Turner from the Faulty of Engineering.
He said: “It’s almost exactly 54 years to the day since the Apollo moon landing took place, so what better time to shine a spotlight on the role engineers played and introduce this historic event to another generation. The average age of those working in mission control back is 1969 was 26, and only one was female, as many of the ‘older’ engineers didn’t think it could be done."
Something I鈥檝e always been keen to communicate to people is that age really is just a number, so hopefully I sent some of the youngsters back home with inspiration that they can go on to achieve great things!
In addition to the presentation, where Jez demonstrated the effects of gravity using his BMX, there were several other activities on offer for children to enjoy, including the opportunity to dress up as an astronaut, shoot an air rocket and touch real meteorites.
James Parkinson, Interim CEO at Lakeside Arts, said: “There’s no doubt that this event was incredibly well received by adults and children alike, and it was fantastic to see so many young people getting stuck into the activities and enjoying Jez’s lecture.
"Events like these are crucial when it comes to engaging younger people in topics that they might otherwise not get to experience. Who knows, we may have just played host to the astronauts and space engineers of the future!"
The entire venue was transformed into outer space for the day and all children received space-themed activity packs or goodie bags for attending.
I loved it! I really enjoyed learning about how brave the astronauts were who first landed on the moon, but my favourite part was the moon rocks.
The event formed part of the University’s public engagement activities, focusing on supporting Nottingham’s journey to be recognised as a UNICEF child friendly city by making academic research accessible to all ages.
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
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As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.