Three sixth-form students spent an inspiring two weeks planning a mission to Mars at the annual
United Space School in Houston, Texas.
Leo Crowe, Charlie Needham and William Shooter were this year’s winners of scholarships awarded
by River Advisers (formerly the ManSat Group), which has been sponsoring Isle of Man sixth-form
students to attend the Space School since 2000.
The trio joined peers from around the world at the annual Space School and attended the
Department of Education, Sport and Culture offices in St John’s on Friday to receive certificates from Minister Daphne Caine in recognition of their fine efforts representing the Island.
The Space School is organised by the Foundation for International Space Education. Working in
groups, students from more than 20 countries were tasked with planning a simulated crewed
mission to Mars, receiving support from NASA astronauts, engineers, and scientists.
Leo, Charlie, and William were joined at Space School by Ciara Sowerby, a previous scholarship
winner, who travelled to Houston as student mentor for the second year running.
Leo, who attends Ramsey Grammar School, is studying maths, further maths, physics, and chemistry at A-level.
“Space school was absolutely phenomenal, I really had the time of my life,” said Leo. “What
surprised me was just how much experience all the teachers and speakers had, whether related to
NASA or the space industry in general. It was an incredible opportunity to listen to them talk about
their fields of expertise. I didn’t expect that I would get on so well with all the other students;
everyone was very likeminded and had similar interests to me, and I had a great time getting to
know them all. It was fun to work in a team because we had the same determination to come up
with a working Mars mission."
“Space School has helped with my university plans – before, I was a bit unsure whether to do maths,
physics, or engineering at university. At Space School, our ‘blue team’ had to design pieces of
equipment to use on Mars, and we went through several designs and used the maths and physics
we’d been taught at school to figure out if they’d really work. I loved going through that process, and
it made me realise that I’d like to study maths at university.”
Fellow Ramsey Grammar School student Charlie Needham is studying A-levels in physics, computer
science, information technology and core mathematics.
“I had a wonderful time in Texas and am really grateful for the opportunity,” said Charlie. “The
highlights were visiting Space Centre Houston and eating American food, specifically brisket! We got to meet people from all over the world, who all shared a similar interest in space exploration. I was surprised by how supportive the host families were, going above and beyond by taking us to
different restaurants and activities in the evenings like go-karting. The trip has given me a better
perspective on what I hope to study at university, making me now lean more towards engineering
rather than physics.”
William, who attends St Ninian’s High School, is studying maths, further maths and physics at A-
Level.
He said: “The Space School experience far exceeded my already high expectations. Working
alongside other scholars from around the world, sharing ideas and working through logistical
problems was an amazing experience. We got to meet, spend time with and hear from some truly
inspirational people from the space industry. My host was Tom Sanzone, who was involved in
training Neil Armstrong and some of the other Apollo astronauts for the moon landing, so you can
imagine he had some really interesting stories to tell!"
“The after-school activities were great fun, and the culture faire, where we cooked local dishes and
performed something from our local culture, was a memorable evening. We made loads of friends,
and we can all stay in touch through the USS alumni network. The whole experience has helped me
focus on a STEM-related degree for my university studies.”
Ciara said: "It was awesome to be able to mentor this programme for the second year in a row,
having been a student back in 2017. Over the three years I've attended Space School, I've met
people from countless different countries and had some incredible experiences. This year, I
mentored the red team – these guys were in charge of the rocket and propulsion to get from Earth
to Mars' orbit. This group of young people were outstanding; I couldn't believe how diligent, clever,
and collaborative they were, overcoming language and cultural barriers to club together to do some
really cool science.”
The scholarships are awarded by River Advisers in cooperation with the Department of Education,
Sport and Culture (DESC).
Dr Jennifer Stone, Chief Technical Officer at River Advisers, was the winner of the first scholarship in 2000.
“Once again, our Isle of Man students have performed at such a high level,” said Dr Stone. “Leo,
Charlie and William did themselves and the Island proud and I’m sure it was an experience they will
never forget. Our thanks to the Island’s secondary schools and King William’s College, and to the
DESC, for the continued support and commitment to our Space School scholarships.”
Daphne Caine, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Leo,
Charlie and William and hear about their incredible experiences in Houston. We are grateful to the
team at River Advisers for the opportunities they continue to provide Isle of Man students, and I
would encourage all current year 12 students who have an interest in STEM subjects and the space
industry to enter the competition to win scholarships to next year’s Space School.”
The competition to win scholarships for Space School 2025 will open soon – details will be posted to
www.riveradvisers.com/scholarships and appear in the media in the next few weeks.
For more information about Space School, visit www.unitedspaceschool.org
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