Lisa reaches for the stars!

In July 2023, our own Ladies 1s player Lisa Murdock, jetted off to Houston Texas, after winning a place in the FISE United Space School (USS). Lisa was the only participant selected from Northern Ireland after winning an essay competition and completing a round of interviews. She was one of around 50 students aged 16-18 from around the world.

The United Space School runs for two weeks every year and sees the group of students work in teams to plan and develop various elements of a manned mission to Mars.

In the lead up to the trip, Lisa had to complete five assignments to determine which team she would be placed on:

• Mission Control
• Mars Operation and Logistics
• Mars Transit Team
• Mars Habitation Team
• Mars Exploration

Lisa was selected for the Mars Operation and Logistics team, where they were tasked with designing the Mars Lander.

Working from the University of Houston - Clear Lake, each team spent two weeks developing their projects which were then presented to a panel of FISE directors. During this time, the students also took day trips to the Space Centre Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, as well as meeting various guest lecturers, NASA employees, and astronauts.

During her time in Houston, Lisa lived with NASA employees Nichole and Philip Augustine and their three daughters, as well as South African USS student, Willemien Kotze. Lisa stated that “The Augustines were very welcoming and made my whole experience extremely enjoyable!” With her host family, Lisa watched a baseball game, visited the Flight Museum and Kemah Boardwalk, and experienced local American culture and food.

The USS organised many activities for the students in the evenings and on weekends, which allowed them to get to know each other outside of their projects, including a pool party, games night, a soccer game, and a talent show.

There was also a Culture Faire, where the students were able to serve and try traditional dishes from each other’s home countries, as well showcase other aspects of their cultures, such as dance, music, poetry, and folklore.

Lisa's advice to others attending the Space School in the future is, "Go for it and get stuck in. Try and get to know as many people as possible. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity".

Lisa plans to study biomedical engineering at Ulster University Belfast in September 2024. She also hopes to return to the USS as a mentor in the future!

Well done Lisa!