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We asked the Training Zone Astro Support Team to select a student, and the school whose live chat stood out for them; the school and student they thought asked the best questions, or engaged most. In each round of the competition, students from the winning school, and the individual student winner will go on to take part in the final live chat with Tim Peake and the Astro Support Team winners next summer. So, for fantastic engagement, for posting brilliant questions and comments, the winners are… School winner: Newstead Wood School Student winner: Sheldon Cooper, Caroline Chisholm School Well done to everyone who took part. There were so many interesting questions, comments, and live chats but there could only be one student winner, and one winning school.

Last week, Beth Healey emerged victorious as winner of the Training Zone. Beth will go on to take part in the final live chat with Tim Peake, and the winners from the Launch, Orbit, and Touchdown Zones, next summer. Here’s what Beth had to say to the students in the Training Zone after they voted her the winner: Hello from Antarctica! I hope you all enjoyed I’m an Astronaut, Get me out of here as much as I did! Your questions were great and I think I learnt just as much as you did by answering them! I think we have certainly set the standard high for future zones to come! I think the rest of my crew wondered where I had disappeared to for the past fortnight as I was glued to the computer screen. The live chats were my favourite part and I don’t think I’ve ever typed … Continue reading →

I’m an Astronaut, Get me out of here starts this October, with students from 25 schools located all over the country connecting with the Astro Support Team in the Training Zone! Between 5th–16th October, schools students will challenge the engineer, medic, instructor, scientist and flight controller who make up the Team through fast-paced live chats and probing questions, before voting for their favourite Team member. For the latest news and announcements about I’m an Astronaut follow @IAAGMOOH on Twitter and look out for the hashtag #Principia. Let’s meet the schools and the Astro Support Team who’ll be interacting in the Training Zone… The Astro Support Team Anne Visscher | Career Development Fellow in Comparative Seed Biology, Kew Gardens, UK If humans want to travel to other planets and stay there for a long time, they need to take seeds with them. Without seeds, they cannot grow plants for food, oxygen, clean water and many other things that they will … Continue reading →

There will be four rounds of the I’m an Astronaut competition, named for the phase of the mission Tim will be in when each round takes place. The rounds will be: Training, Launch, Orbit, and Touchdown. Round 1: Training Zone Dates running: 5th–16th October 2015 Registration for Round 1 has closed. Teachers can register their interest in taking part in Rounds 2, 3, and 4. Round 2: Launch Zone Dates running: 7th–18th December 2015 Teacher registration deadline: 10 am 26th October 2015 Round 3: Orbit Zone Dates running: 7th–18th March 2016 Teacher registration deadline: 24th January 2016 Round 4: Touchdown Zone Dates running: 13th–24th June 2016 Teacher registration deadline: 24th April 2016   Teacher info and registration The competition is totally free for schools, though places are limited. For more information and to register interest, go to: imanastronaut.uk/teachers Join the Astro Support Team If your work relates to the Principia Mission, and you would like to take … Continue reading →

From the effects of solar radiation on people living on the International Space Station, to opinions on space travel; there are few topics which inspire quite so many questions as Space. Another question, asked probably in every live chat in every I’m a Scientist Space Zone we’ve run: “Have you ever been to space?” The answer has always been “no”… Until now. Launching today with funding from the UK Space Agency, I’m an Astronaut, Get me out of here is giving school students all over the UK the opportunity to put their questions to the team behind the Principia Mission. There will be four rounds, with the first running 5th–16th October, and teachers can sign up now to take part with their class — The registration deadline for Round 1 is 12PM on Monday 20th July 2015. For more information see imanastronaut.uk/teachers.