Powerhouse: Future Space
‘Powerhouse: Future Space is the inaugural program for the Lang Walker Family Academy. From 2026 we will welcome 10,000 students from Western Sydney and Regional NSW, to Parramatta to engage in unique and immersive STEM experiences that go beyond their classroom walls.’
Inaugural Program
Powerhouse: Future Space has been connecting Stage 5 students from six Western Sydney local government areas to the International Space Station and a global network of learners since 2022. In November 2024 we will launch a student-designed mission to the International Space Station, on board SpaceX-31.
Future Space Events
Powerhouse: Future Space connects Stage 5 students from six Western Sydney local government areas to the International Space Station and a global network of learners through the ExoLab-10 mission.
In 2022, students learned about the carbon cycle through the Exo Mission 10, growing alfalfa plants to study space life support systems and food production. The results influenced an experiment launched to the ISS in November 2022.
In 2023, students designed their own microgravity experiments, culminating in the selection of an experiment on the effects of microgravity on algae growth.
In 2024, students refined the experiment by conducting ground trials and finalising the design with guidance from industry professionals. Their work included determining factors like algae species and seed density, while also enhancing teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
‘I don't know what country the first person to step foot on Mars is going to come from. It could be Australia. It could be one of you sitting right here. It'll happen probably in about 20 years. That will go to Mars. You're all the right age. So I'm asking you, when you go to Mars and you get footage of that very first mission. When you step foot on Mars, will you invite me so I can sit in your audience and I can watch your video and hear your stories?’
The Powerhouse: Future Space schools include Arthur Phillip High School, Bankstown Girls High School, Casula High School, East Hills Girls Technology High School, Hurlstone Agricultural High School, and Seven Hills High School.
The program is delivered as part of the NSW Department of Education iSTEM elective: Design for Space. Powerhouse: Future Space is developed in partnership by Powerhouse, Magnitude.io and the NSW Department of Education, with support from Fizzics Education and presented as part of the Lang Walker Family Academy In-Schools Program.
Powerhouse: Future Space is developed in partnership by Powerhouse, Magnitude.io and the NSW Department of Education, with support from Fizzics Education and University of Technology Sydney, and presented as part of the Lang Walker Family Academy In-Schools Program.
Exolab 10 Mission
‘Exolab-10 is a series of experiments all around the world to discover how different factors effect plant growth in space, specifically alfalfa.’
‘Working with Powerhouse, the Lang Walker Academy, the Department of Education and your school, as well as five other schools is Western Sydney, we are connecting you with schools around the world on this mission to the international space station. Students will be conducting ground trials and connected to this live experiment as you look at these plants growing, you’ll compare them, and look at how an organism might grow in a micro gravity environment.’
