Year 12 Physics Trip to MSSL

Did you know there is a Space Laboratory in the nearby Surrey Hills? 20 Year 12 physics students and two staff headed for the tranquillity of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory on top of a hill in Holmbury St Mary.

We had a great time learning about Solar Physics and Solar Flares, Blackholes and the many space satellites and missions that the MSSL has been part of over the last 50 years that included the Gaia mission and the James Webb Space Telescope. A tour of their beautiful grounds gave time for ideas and reflection before they met with a Space Science Instruments Engineer about how you go from a space concept to tangible hardware that can be tested and used on a satellite.

The trip was a valuable and interesting addition to the Physics course the students are following, and who knows, may have ignited a spark of interest in future career directions!

MSSL is a world-leading space science laboratory, part of the Department of Space and Climate Physics at University College London. Based near Dorking, MSSL has been developing cutting-edge space research and space technology for over 50 years. Research covers all aspects of space research, from understanding the Sun and its interaction with the planets, to understanding galaxies and the matter that makes up the universe. They build and operate innovative space hardware for multinational space missions and offer state-of-the-art test facilities for ground and space-based technology.