Primary school children from across Cambridgeshire have been designing and building their own rocket launchpads, with a little help from the University of Cambridge's Engineering Department.

Around 220 youngsters, aged between nine and 11, have visited the Engineering Department over the past fortnight to take part in the challenge days, the last of which takes place today (June 22).

After a brief demonstration on how to make strong structures out of sheets of paper (the secret is to roll each sheet into a tube), the young students have set to work on designing and manufacturing launchpads that are capable of supporting a four-kilogramme rocket launcher. They have also been making aerodynamic nose cones and fins for the rockets themselves.

And they have achieved some amazing results, with one group making a launchpad that supported 20 kilogrammes of weight from just six sheets of A4 paper - a fact that impressed the engineering undergraduate volunteers helping the youngsters with their challenges.

Undoubtedly, though, the highlight of the days has come when the children take their launchpads and rockets outside to put them to the test; some of the rockets have travelled a highly impressive 100 metres.

The challenge days have been organised by the Engineering Department's outreach team. They have been assisted by 20 engineering undergraduate volunteers. The school children's travel expenses have been funded by the St John's College Gatsby Schools Project.

Engineering Department Outreach Officer Joy Warde said:

"We organise the challenge days for two reasons - firstly, because they give local children an opportunity to visit the University and, secondly, to give them a taste of engineering in the real world. They're a great opportunity for school pupils to experience real-life engineering."


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.