Year 9 Take on the Space Capsule Challenge at Our Lady & St Bede Catholic Academy in Stockton
British Science Week brought excitement and innovation to Our Lady & St Bede Catholic Academy in Stockton, as Year 9 pupils stepped into the shoes of real engineers. Their mission? To design and build space capsules capable of protecting a fragile “astronaut egg” during a high‑impact landing.
Creativity, Teamwork and Real‑World Problem‑Solving
Using a mix of everyday materials, pupils:
- Applied engineering thinking
- Tested prototypes
- Adapted designs
- Worked together to solve problems
Some capsules were bold and ambitious, others were cleverly engineered — and yes, a few eggs certainly felt the effects of gravity!
Science in Action
The activity perfectly captured the essence of British Science Week:
curiosity, experimentation, resilience and learning through both success and failure.
It was fantastic to watch pupils think critically, test ideas and approach challenges with enthusiasm.
Who knew protecting an egg could involve such serious science?
