Our Secondary students' experiments achieve Flight Status in Astro Pi competition

Two teams of our Year 11 to Year 13 students progress to Phase 3 of the Astro Pi Mission Space Lab Challenge, using Python to develop experiments for Raspberry Pi hardware.

We are thrilled to announce that both of Canterbury School's Mission Space Lab teams have achieved Flight Status in the prestigious Astro Pi competition, organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This exciting news means that the teams' experiments, which were developed using Python programming language, will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) and conducted by astronauts during April-May 2023.

Astro Pi is an ESA Education project that offers young people the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on Raspberry Pi computers aboard the ISS. The competition consists of four phases: Design, Create, Deploy, and Analyse.

Comprising four students each from Years 11 to 13, our two teams have worked diligently on their respective experiments, focusing on the themes of Life on Earth. Their hard work and dedication have been rewarded with the opportunity to have their experiments run on the ISS, an exceptional achievement for all involved.

During the three-hour runtime, astronauts on the ISS will install the software and run the experiments, after which they will send the results back to the participating teams. This means that the students' Python code and the Raspberry Pi hardware must work autonomously to record and analyse data (photographs) throughout the duration of the experiment.

Team 1's experiment centres on identifying ideal locations for solar panel placement on Earth. By analysing images and location data combined with temperature, humidity, and wind information, the team aims to make informed decisions about the best locations for solar panel installation.

Team 2's experiment investigates the correlation between water quality and areas with different population densities and vegetation. Their experiment focuses on six main parameters: vegetation health, water temperature, water turbidity, water hardness, pH, and dissolved oxygen. They believe that these factors can provide a comprehensive understanding of water quality across the globe.

Upon completion of their experiments on the ISS, the teams will receive their data by the end of May 2023, allowing them to write their final reports and complete the last phase of the Mission Space Lab Challenge.
We are incredibly proud of our students' accomplishments in developing experiments and wish them the best of luck in the next stage of the Astro Pi competition. Stay tuned for further updates on their progress!

Once again, congratulations to both Canterbury School Mission Space Lab teams!

by natalia

Iván Peñate represents the Canary Islands at the National Olympiad in Informatics

We are thrilled to share the news that Iván Peñate Gómez, our talented Year 13 Computer Science student, represented the Canary Islands at the National Olympiad in Informatics held in Madrid this past weekend. Although he did not secure a winning position, he demonstrated great skill, enthusiasm, and camaraderie throughout the competition.

Iván thoroughly enjoyed the experience, making the most of the opportunity to connect with likeminded individuals from across the country. He engaged in fruitful discussions with other talented students, which allowed him to broaden his horizons and gain valuable insights into different approaches to problem-solving in computer science.

Iván's journey at the National Olympiad in Informatics is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and learning. His experience in Madrid has not only enriched his knowledge but also sparked further interest in pursuing a career in computer science. We are confident that this is just the beginning of an exciting journey for Iván, and we look forward to supporting him in his future endeavours.

On behalf of our school community, we would like to congratulate Iván for his commendable performance at the national level and express our appreciation for the enthusiasm he brought to the competition. Keep up the fantastic work, Iván!

by natalia