Lift off for mini sculptures created by Milton Keynes students

Youngsters at the school have created miniature sculptures which will be launched into space on board a NASA Black Brant IX rocket on April 4.

While the sculptures are no larger than a sugar cube, the rocket is about 20m tall.

Lift off will be from Kwajalein Atoll, in the South Pacific Marshall Islands.

The rocket will fly to around the height of the International Space Station, before falling back into the Pacific Ocean where it will be recovered.

From take-off to splashdown the round trip will take about 30 minutes.

During the flight, the sculptures will be filmed as they experience micro gravity for around five minutes.

Once the rocket has been recovered from the Pacific Ocean, the sculptures and a copy of the video footage will be returned to the school.

St Paul’s science teacher Mr Ruprai said: “Our students have been excited to be involved in this fascinating micro gravity and 3D-imaging experiment.

“Their sculptures have now been sent to Dynamic Imaging Analytics Limited at Bletchley Park Science & Innovation Centre and will then travel to the USA where they will be fitted into the rocket and then go onwards to the Pacific Marshall Islands.”

The students’ sculptures included a rocket, cat designs and a tiny cube engraved with the names of a student’s family members.