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25 Nov 2024
More than 90 students from 19 schools participated in the latest edition of the Young Defence Scientists Programme (YDSP) Science & Technology (S&T) Camp, stepping into the shoes of space engineers to learn about Space exploration and the technologies used.
Held from 25 Nov - 29 Nov, participants at the camp learnt to build a rover prototype, code and control it using Python – a programming language. They gained insights on why there is a need for Space exploration and how and what current space engineers are doing to advance in this area. In addition, DSTA mentors shared with participants on the defence implications of the technologies involved, from Search & Rescue mission capabilities to long-term protection from extinction-level events (ELEs).
As with every YDSP S&T Camp, the days led up to a competition on the last two days. Participants were tasked with various simulated missions. On the first competition day, the teams were tasked with using the rover prototype to retrieve fragile mineral samples for analysis, to replace an expanded radioactive core with a spare and dispose of the expanded core in the waste bin. On the last day of the competition, the teams were tasked to control the prototype to construct a new base with materials that were provided nearby, autonomously locate and rescue an injured astronaut, and to transfer their rover to an allied base. Filled with enthusiasm and buzz, the teams put together a presentation to showcase their solution and innovation that allowed them to complete the various activities.
The S&T Camp garnered enthusiastic responses from its participants. Gabrielle Lim from Hwa Chong Institution said: “I thought that the camp was especially interesting because you usually don’t get the chance to look around and dabble hands-on in the sort of technology that is especially related to space.”
“I think it was a really good experience to be exposed to this kind of real-world challenges when we were solving the problems in real life,” Ngiam Lihong from NUS High School of Math and Science added.
