Students at Canary Wharf Secondary (CWS) had an exciting opportunity to connect with the world of space exploration through a live NASA broadcast from Imperial Space School, part of Imperial College London.

The nationwide event featured NASA engineers Howard Hu and Branelle Rodriguez, who shared their experiences of working on Artemis II and gave students an insight into the engineering, science and teamwork behind the Orion spacecraft.

Launched on 1 April 2026, Artemis II was the first crewed mission around the Moon in more than 50 years. During its approximately 10 day mission, the crew travelled around 270,000 miles from Earth, travelling further than any humans in history and surpassing the record previously held by Apollo 13 in 1970. The mission completed the first crewed lunar flyby since the Apollo programme.

Year 7 students from CWS gathered together in the school hall to watch the broadcast, while students across the rest of the school joined from their classrooms.

During the session, students learned about Orion’s journey around the Moon, including its flight around the far side of the Moon in a figure eight pattern. Howard and Branelle also spoke about the people behind space exploration, emphasising that space engineering is for everyone.

Their message encouraged students to consider STEAM subjects and future careers, demonstrating how engineering combines problem solving, creativity and innovation to achieve extraordinary things.

The event provided our young learners with a memorable opportunity to hear directly from leading engineers and imagine what their own futures could hold. It reflects our trust’s mission of providing transformational education for all, by giving every student opportunities to be inspired, discover new possibilities and develop the knowledge and ambition to shape their future.