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# Schools invited to join programme aiming to spark interest in space among students
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/schools-invited-to-join-programme-aiming-to-spark-interest-in-space-among-students/
- Published: 2024-02-24T07:58:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-02-23T13:27:59.000Z
- Description: Schools are being invited to join a programme designed to spark an interest in space among young people.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Education, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:58, News

Schools are being invited to join a programme designed to spark an interest in space among young people.

Thales Alenia Space will launch the MARSBaloon project for secondary and primary students.

Pupils will work together to create experiments to test the response of electronics, materials, plants and food to the harsh conditions in space. They will then be placed inside a small capsule and sent up to an altitude of 30km on a high altitude balloon.

Drashti Shah, Thales Alenia Space engineer and MARSBalloon project manager, said:

> “We had a record number of participants last year, flying over 200 experiments into the stratosphere – and this year we have changed the dates to allow more schools to get involved.  
>  
> “It is a fantastic fun, free of charge that really gives young student experience of deigning their own experiments and first-hand experience learning more about space, widening their future career horizons.”  
>  
> Drashti Shah

The deadline for registration is 8th March 2024 with the launch of the balloon in May. For more information visit [www.thalesgroup.com/en/futuremartians](http://www.thalesgroup.com/en/futuremartians?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk).