01 Sep Past Pupil Inspires Future Rocket Scientists
Former Pakuranga College student and Rocket Lab composite materials specialist, James Hansen, returned to the college last week to speak with Year 10 students about his experience building rocket components for the leading-edge company. The experience is recapped below by Year 10 students:
James Hansen, an ex-student of Pakuranga College, from Rocket Lab (an aerospace engineering manufacturer and launch service provider) visited on Tuesday, to give Year 10 science students in 10K and 10PP the opportunity to learn about the different job opportunities available within the company. James taught us about the different locations of the company, jobs, different structures and sizes of the rockets, their achievements and current missions with satellites, in a brief but detailed presentation.
I very much enjoyed this session, as I now have more knowledge on how satellites are launched and have different roles, for different reasons but also for scientists to know more about what is happening on Earth and in space. I now have some interest in how different companies design their models. So, In the future, I would definitely like to learn more about the different features, the technologies, and the contrast of what the different rockets have and are made to be. Because of this, I may now have to reconsider my future job selection, and I would also really like to say that it was nice to wrap up our lessons on Earth and space sciences, after we have finished with this great session.
Hari Yoo, 10K
I have learnt so much about it, especially how they launch it from here in New Zealand, because before I thought rockets were only being launched in the United States, but then I found out it is possible for them to launch a rocket from here (New Zealand)! I have seen the Rocket Lab logo so many times in Auckland, but I just didn’t know it is possible and also I learnt about what type of elements a rockets needs, such as: liquid oxygen, etc. The thing that I found really interesting is that a rocket needs a lot of things, they’re working a long time to build it and not just some kind of small rocket, they’re building a huge one. After the presentation that Mr James Hansen showed us, it makes me want to know more about it and especially about space. I would just like to thank Mr James Hansen for the time he showed us and talked about rockets and how they’re launched up to space.
Shanaia Roma, 10K