Three Ballakermeen High School sixth-form students have travelled to Houston, Texas, after winning scholarships to attend the annual United Space School (USS).

Isabelle Nazar, Holly McEvoy and Dante Kunstel are joining students from more than 20 countries for the two-week programme, during which participants will work together to plan a crewed mission to Mars.

The Year 12 students were awarded their scholarships by River Advisers, which has sponsored Isle of Man students to attend the USS since 2000.

The competition is open to students from all five of the island's state secondary schools and King William's College and requires entrants to answer three essay questions.

Ahead of their departure, the three students prepared by researching space-related topics and completing question sheets designed to help them make the most of the programme from the outset.

Isabelle, who is studying A-levels in maths, further maths, physics and German, said she was looking forward to collaborating with like-minded students from around the world.

‘It's a fantastic opportunity,’ she said. ‘I'm looking forward to meeting people from all over the world and working together on the project.

‘I want to study engineering at university before potentially doing a master's in genetic engineering. I'm not entirely sure which path of engineering I want to go down, so Space School will help me explore different sectors.’

Dante, who is studying maths, physics and biology alongside an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), said one of the highlights would be visiting the Space Center.

‘I'm really looking forward to seeing inside the Space Center, especially all of the control rooms which I have seen on TV over the years,’ he said. ‘To go there and see them is such a rare opportunity.’

He added that he had been watching technology videos to prepare for the trip and hopes to specialise in energy generation in the future.

Holly, who is studying maths, biology and physics, said she was most excited about meeting students from different countries with similar interests and learning more about how space missions are planned and operated.

‘To prepare for Space School, I've been reading more about space exploration and learning about previous NASA missions,’ she said. ‘I'm hoping to study law at university and then specialise in space law for my career. With this trip, I hope to learn whether a career in the space sector is right for me.’

Dr Jennifer Stone, chief strategy officer and head of spectrum strategy and international coordination at River Advisers, was herself the first recipient of one of the company's scholarships while a student at St Ninian's High School in 2000.

She said: ‘Attending Space School was such a memorable and formative experience, and River is very proud to have been providing these opportunities to Isle of Man students for over 25 years.’

Education Minister Daphne Caine added: ‘Hearing about the experiences the students have each year is always so inspiring.

‘We are grateful to River Advisers for their ongoing support with the scholarships and I look forward to meeting the students on their return and hearing all about their incredible adventures.’