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Alleyn’s School 
The Easter Holidays brought exciting times for our CanSat team, Cosmic Girls, who had secured a coveted spot in the CanSat National Finals alongside nine other teams in York. Cosmic Girls Raha, Natalia, Carla, Kate, Angie, and Moji were selected out of 250 teams entering to compete in the final 10.
The journey to National Launch success was not without its challenges. Stress levels were raised when, on the morning of the launch, the transmitter on their can sized satellite was not working. Luckily, the team had brought a selection of spare parts and were prepared for this mishap. Undeterred, they rallied together and reconstructed a new Can from spare parts in just four hours. Talk about determination!
The team had a successful launch to 1000m, deployment of parachute, and soft landing with no damage. Despite their valiant efforts, technical issues persisted during the launch, resulting in the loss of data feeding back into the Can.
The Cosmic Girls drew on their Alleyn’s courage, and, refusing to be disheartened, delivered an exceptional presentation to the judges about their overall CanSat mission and journey. Their project was to collect data, and then use a machine learning algorithm to identify natural disasters. Not surprisingly, they left a lasting impression that resulted in them being granted the Outstanding Science Mission award.
The significance of this, beyond the recognition of their epic work, is that it placed the Cosmic Girls among the top five teams nationwide, a remarkable achievement considering the overall competition included over 250 teams.
While their CanSat mission may have concluded, the Cosmic Girls' journey is far from over. With their sights already set on 'CubeSat2026,' the team will undoubtedly continue to pursue their passions for STEM exploration into the future.
Women and girls in STEM play a crucial role in shaping the future of innovation and discovery, and the success of the Cosmic Girls showcases the potential and talent within our female STEM enthusiasts, and highlights the importance of encouraging and supporting their participation in these fields, along with that of other minority groups.
Team Cosmic Girls are breaking barriers and inspiring generations to come, and we are very proud of their achievements. Stay cosmic, girls!
