AN47

4 April 2018 As part of British Science Week the second years visited the Satellite Applications Catapult (SAC) at Harwell, one of several business and innovation catapults linked to high tech research and industry around the UK. Students heard about the range of careers and entrepreneurial opportunities linked to the space industry, learnt about the role of the European Space Agency and the design of space telescopes, as well as engaging in practical activities. They investigated the properties of chocolate bars to simulate sampling of rock types on different planets and practised origami to understand how deployable structures are designed for satellite applications. One of the favourite activities was building a cube sat from scratch and using it to take and transmit a ‘selfie’ to a ground station computer. The afternoon included an incredible presentation in the SAC Operations Centre where satellite applications were demonstrated on huge, interactive screens. Investigating Space A fine selection of solo and ensemble items were enjoyed by an appreciative audience at this term’s Lower School Lunchtime Concert. Junior Strings made the Lower School Housemaster particularly happy by playing the theme from Star Wars, while the Lower School String Quartet gave a rousing rendition of a piece by Mozart. Lower School Lunchtime Concert First years relished racing their rocket cars in the coach park in the ‘Race for the line’ competition which is linked to the Bloodhound SSC project. The national winning team will watch Bloodhound attempt to break the land speed record in South Africa. Last term, boys learnt about forces and aerodynamics in Science, studied speed-time graphs in Maths and designed and built the cars in DT. The cars were completed this term and the qualifying race held with two rocketeers from RAF Brize Norton, Flt Lt Rob Wellock and FS Richard Stevens supervising the race day. 15 teams from the First Year entered and enjoyed the spectacle of their foam bodied cars being propelled up the track by a rocket motor. The fastest time was posted by Team Italia despite their car losing a wheel about halfway along its run! The top three teams progress to the regional stage at RAF Brize Norton on 4th May. Rocket cars in action Regional Winners of UKMT Maths Challenge Four students from the Second and Third Years took first place against tough opposition at the UKMT Team Maths Challenge Regional Final held at the Mathematical Institute in Oxford. They enjoyed a day of mathematical games and puzzles as well as showing excellent team skills, including scoring full marks on the crossnumber round. The next stage is the National Final held in London in June. Senlac Hill re-enacted First years studying the Battle of Hastings took advantage of a sunny afternoon to re- enact the key moments in the battle such as the formation of the Saxon shield wall on Senlac Hill and the death of King Harold and the crowning of King William.