Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The Canadian Space Agency is looking for a few good men and women, which naturally enough took them to Weledeh Catholic school, Monday.

Grade 6 and 7 students were given a tour of Mars by video-link in hopes that someday a few of them might consider a career in space.

"The CSA has a long-term vision to find astronauts," said Trent Hamm, who teaches science at the school. He said it was important to get kids interested in careers in the field of science and space exploration as the field continues to grow.

The space agency gave an interactive lesson to roughly 55 students.

Dr. Erick Dupuis, a robotics engineer, appeared on a screen on the gymnasium wall and led students through a lesson called "Unearthing the Secrets of Mars."

Dupuis, who was in Longueuil, Que., was also able to see the students and ask them questions with the help of interactive technology.

On a separate screen, the students were led through a simulation of commanding the Mars Rover as it crossed the Martian landscape to illustrate how difficult it is to communicate with the robotic device millions of kilometres away.

The school applied online for the lesson with the space agency in September and was notified of their participation in the activity a few weeks ago.

"It's a unique experience for the kids and meets a lot of objectives for the unit," said Hamm.

"It gives kids a clear understanding of what it's like dealing with robots on other planets."

Alwyn Landry, a Grade 7 student who took part in the lesson, said that it was a great experience.

"I thought the presentation was very good," said Landry. Asked if he would consider a career as an astronaut, he said it was a possibility.