Following their competition to find Cornwall’s budding young journalists, which closed at the end of January, Spaceport Cornwall have now selected their 2022 Launch Crew - who will be given the exciting task of documenting the historic road to the first ever launch from UK soil this summer.
This team has been chosen to showcase the opportunities that launch will bring to Cornwall and share the key moments and behind the scenes action in the lead up to lift off. The competition called for applications under five categories - video producing, podcasting, social media management, reporting and journalism.
After close to 200 entries from secondary school children across Cornwall, the Spaceport Cornwall team had the difficult decision of choosing a winner in each category. Thirteen year old Rosie Wills from Humphry Davy school has been chosen as the print journalist; fifteen year old Kyra Hoskin from Looe Community Academy has been selected as the social media creator; thirteen year old Ryan Woods from Redruth Academy has been chosen as on-screen reporter; sixteen year old Katie Ireland has won the video producer category and eleven year old Zoe Godfrey and sixteen year old Marcia Ward, both from Treviglas Academy, will be delivering a co-hosted podcast after their incredible competition applications.
Each winner submitted creative and exciting work that showcased their talent for their chosen medium. Zoe from Treviglas Academy reached out to Indigenous Australian Astronomer Karlie Noon, organising an interview for her podcast entry, Ryan created his own TV news bulletin and Rosie reported from the future in her print submission.
The launch crew will now showcase the story of space in Cornwall and the UK through a multi-channel approach - highlighting the breadth of activity related to the space industry. In the lead up to launch they will carry out exclusive interviews with the Spaceport team and its partners, as well as attending key events and documenting milestones.
The announcement was made on Friday the 24th of February at the Royal Cornwall Museum to surprise the winners, who had been invited under the pretence they had made the final of the competition.
Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall: “Moments like this are what we are all about. Spaceport Cornwall’s mission is to democratise space for everyone - and the younger generation are the key focus of this ambition. We want to make sure these students know that launch will not only benefit Cornwall in the short-term, but it will open up a world of opportunities long-term. Seeing the excitement in the room today makes the team and I so proud to be bringing space closer to home.”
Jon Tamlyn, Head of PSHE, Treviglas Academy: “I am thrilled that two Treviglas Academy students have been selected to be part of Spaceport Cornwall's young launch crew. As a school we are immensely proud of Zoe and Marcia and know that they will be wonderful additions to the team. The opportunity to showcase their creative talents in a media capacity may well prove to be a formative experience for them. We thank the Spaceport Cornwall team for recognising the talents of Treviglas Academy students and creating industry links between Cornish business and local schools.”
This competition forms an integral part of Spaceport Cornwall’s outreach programme, which aims to engage with every young person in Cornwall. A key focus of the project is ensuring that the positive impact of increased launch capabilities is felt most within the community - creating and providing opportunities for local people, businesses and organisations. The Launch Crew will also explore and learn more about space sustainability, the role of satellites in fighting climate change, and how Cornwall will pioneer responsible launch.