Sixth-form students in the Isle of Man have the chance to win scholarships from the ManSat Group to attend next summer’s Nasa United Space School.

The Manx satellite company has been offering scholarships to the Space School in Houston, Texas, each year since 2000, in conjunction with the Department of Education, Sport and Culture. In the last 18 years, 35 students have attended the prestigious Space School.

The competition is open to all Year 12/Lower Sixth students in the Island’s high schools and King William’s College.

Winning students will spend two weeks at the Space School and work alongside peers from around the globe, with the aim of planning a simulated crewed mission to Mars, alongside support from NASA astronauts, engineers and scientists.

The 2018 scholarship winners were Caitlin Gelder and Marc Podmore, from Castle Rushen High School, and Gemma Tipper, from King William’s College.

To have a chance of winning a place at the United Space School 2019, students will write three essays, with the closing date for entries being 11.59 pm Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

Dr Jennifer Stone, ManSat’s senior manager for regulatory affairs, visited sixth-forms around the island last month to talk to students about the competition and what to expect at the Space School.

Dr Stone explained: ’I was lucky enough to win the first ManSat scholarship in 2000 so I know first-hand what an incredible time the students will have.

’The scholarship winners will interact with Nasa officials, scientists, and even astronauts, and they will make new friends from around the world. There are many different career options in the space industry, so this is a fantastic opportunity for the Island’s students, whatever their field of study.

’We are grateful as always for the support of the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, the Isle of Man high schools and King William’s College.’

To enter, students must answer all three essay questions:

Q1: Why am I interested in space?

Q2: What do you think the focus of space exploration should be for the next 30 years?

Q3: Should humans return to the Moon before going to Mars? Please justify your answer.

For further information, interested students should contact their Head of Sixth Form directly or visit www.mansat.org

Graham Cregeen MHK, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, said: ’We make a presentation to the winning students each year on their return from Houston and it’s a pleasure to listen to them recount the wonderful experiences they have had.

’Our thanks go to the ManSat Group for its continued support in providing these scholarships and the amazing opportunities they give to our students.’

ManSat also supports Manx entries to the annual Conrad Challenge, in co-operation with Apollo Astronaut Pete Conrad’s Foundation, and has sponsored Island high schools to participate in the UK Rocketry Challenge.

In addition, the company awards an annual ManSat Fellowship grant for Manx students seeking to further their studies in space, and scholarships to attend programs run by the International Space University in Strasbourg.

Visit www.unitedspaceschool.org for more information about the Space School, www.mansat.org for details of the company’s scholarships, and www.mansat.com for more about ManSat itself.

Dr Jennifer Stone

Nasa, short for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration