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Students on Chesterfield College’s BTEC National Diploma in IT recently took part in a unique team building exercise when they piloted their very own challenger space mission.

The exercise took place at the National Space Centre, where students split into two groups, manning mission control and piloting the space capsule. They then took on roles ranging from Communications Officer and Navigator, to Life Support Officer and Medical Officer.

The groups had to put themselves in the shoes of real-life astronauts and make decisions that would impact on the success of their mission and the safety of their crew.

Howard Pratt, Programme Manager for Information Technology said, “The teams had to aim to launch a probe, rendezvous with a comet and explore it for data. One group had to come back down to Earth after failing to assemble a carbon dioxide filter! The aim of the trip was to enable team building and improve leadership skills, and the space centre did a fantastic job of re-creating the feel of a real space mission. The students really enjoyed the experience and gained a lot of valuable skills along the way.”