Some 35 Year 8 and Year 9 Scholars took part in the Target: Mars event at BGS on Wednesday 9 June.
The external providers, Thinkers in Education, have offered this event for many years in Britain, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. This year, Team Japan from BGS set a new world record!
Pupils were tasked with analysing ‘Martian’ soil samples and designing and then building a buggy to roam across the surface of the planet. Buggies were tested for the distance they travelled and the accuracy of their movements.
Teamwork was at a premium as each pupil was assigned a role as an analyst or biochemist, among others. All this was undertaken under time pressure and in competition with rival space agencies from around the globe.
Team Japan showed exceptional individual and collective skills to establish their world record by correctly answering the last question on the day.
