FOUR girls have claimed prizes in the North East leg of a national competition to design a logo that will be displayed on the first rockets launching small satellites from the UK later this year.
Freya Brown, 10, Emily Frankland, 11, and Alice Stobbart, 11, of Chester-le-Street, worked together on a cheerful design depicting a cartoon Earth holding a camera, linked up to an orbiting constellation of small satellites decorated in Union Jack colours.
Meanwhile, six-year-old Inara Kell, of Saltburn, used a computer to design a smiling Earth – with a nose in the shape of the UK – peeping out from behind a satellite.
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More than 10,000 primary school children aged between 4 and 11 years old entered the Logo Lift Off competition, which was run by the UK Space Agency in collaboration with Hopscotch Consulting to encourage the next generation to consider a career in the space sector.
The overall winner, announced on the International Day of Human Spaceflight (April 12), was six-year-old Callum Wilkinson from Bolton, who will have his logo displayed on the rockets.
As regional winners, the girls will receive personalised certificates, goody bags, a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) learning kit, and an opportunity for their classes to attend an online talk with a UK Space Agency representative.
The UK is set to become the first country in Europe to host small satellite launches this year, as set out in the National Space Strategy.
As well as monitoring climate change, satellite data can be used to help provide essential daily services such as television broadcasting and navigation systems, and to improve connectivity. The UK already employs more than 45,000 people in space jobs and having our own domestic launch capability will create new opportunities to benefit people and businesses across the UK.
Ian Annett, Deputy CEO at UK Space Agency, said: “Thousands of people across the UK already work in our growing space sector, and there will be even more high-value jobs created as satellite launches begin from British spaceports this year.
“To support this exciting and important industry, we must inspire talented young people to consider future careers in science and engineering. The Logo Lift Off competition has uncovered fantastic ideas from children right across the UK and given them an opportunity to learn how satellite data is helping to tackle global challenges such as climate change.
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“Congratulations to the winners, and all those who took part.”
The UK’s first small satellite launch is set to take place from Spaceport Cornwall later this year, followed by vertical launches from Scotland at both Space Hub Sutherland in the Highlands and SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.
North East Logo Lift Off winners, Freya, Emily, and Alice, from Newker Primary School, said: “We are so proud to win the regional competition as we represent our generation of wonderful and inspiring scientists.
“Our design is the planet Earth holding a camera, shooting graphs out of its shutter, surrounded by satellites. This represents what the rockets, containing satellites, will be sent up into space to do: help monitor Earth for climate change.”
North East Logo Lift Off winner, Inara, from Badger Hill Academy, said: "When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut. I love things to do with space, so it was fun to learn about small satellites and how they help us and look at other planets.
“This gave me ideas for my logo. I'm really happy to be a regional winner because it was a surprise and I can't wait to tell my friends and teacher."
"My design is our planet and a satellite orbiting it and the orbit makes a smile because all of the little things small satellites do help the planet. The UK nose shows where the satellites are launching from, and the North and South poles are like hair and a beard - it's so funny!"
Logo Lift Off competition judges included TV presenters Maddie Moate, Martin Dougan, Michael Underwood and Greg Foot, as well as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Maya Ghazal.
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