You wouldn't normally expect to hear a conversation about "ionisation in the earth's atmosphere" happening between a group of 12- to 14-year-old youngsters. But that conversation is exactly what led enterprising youth from the Caribbean nation of T&T to the top prize in the Cubes In Space global contest.
Seven students from NorthGate College, in T&T, captured the 2014 Cubes In Space� MPAC Group Top Design Award, for a science experiment that will be launched into space on June 26.
One member of the team, 13-year-old, Deron Khelawan confidently explained, "the Ionisation Investigation seeks to measure the extent to which an electromagnetic field is generated as the payload moves through the ionosphere."
Their creative idea did not only impress their teachers and parents; it impressed a global panel of judges that included some of the finest minds in the aerospace industry.
"The quality of thought and depth of understanding of the science behind their experiment far exceeded most of what was submitted to us by other schools and countries. The NASA engineers to whom we have shown the proposal and video were utterly impressed and astounded that the application was submitted by middle-school aged students," said Agee-DeHart, founder of the Cubes In Space programme.
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