Gerry Griffin Gerry joined NASA in 1964 as a Gemini flight controller – specialising in guidance and navigation systems.
In 1968 he became an Apollo flight director and served in that role for all of the Apollo manned missions.
He was lead flight director for three lunar landing missions: Apollo’s 12, 15 and 17. After Apollo Gerry served as the deputy director of the Dryden (now Armstrong) Flight Research Center and the Kennedy Space Center before returning to Johnson Space Center as director.
During the flight of Apollo 13 Gerry was scheduled to lead the lunar landing team in Mission Control. When the landing was cancelled as a result of the oxygen tank explosion, he led one of the teams of flight controllers who were responsible for the safe return of the astronauts.
Gerry was a technical advisor for the movies Apollo 13, Contact, Deep Impact and Apollo 18.
Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats
Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats is the only registered charity in the UK who care solely for the welfare of goats – they rescue abandoned, abused and neglected goats – plus, helping animals in need of a new home because their owners can no longer care for them. They educate the public about goat welfare nationwide – providing them with accurate knowledge. The Patron of the Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats is Ann Widdecombe.
MajorTim.space 2021-2022 Young Ambassadors, Emily & Myle designed a space patch which is going to the ISS as part of the MicroAge Mission by the University of Liverpool.
The KUBIK Incubator on the ISS contains a centrifuge and the experiment will examine the contraction of muscle constructs exposed to microgravity or artificial gravity induced by centrifugation.
We’re looking for young people who are passionate about STEM to become our Young Ambassadors for 2022 – 2023.
Our Young Ambassadors take part in a variety of exciting activities, including – conducting interviews with professionals for our YouTube channel, visiting wonderful places to review them (Covid-19 allowing), being guests at some of our events and much more.
It is an opportunity that will look great on your CV.
If selected, you will be an Ambassador for one year after which we will elect a new group.
There will be three age categories 7-9 years 10-12 years 13-14 years
All female entrants will automatically be also judged for our ‘Girls Can Ambassador’ category.
Each ambassador will receive a t.shirt stating their title.
The Young Ambassadors have fortnightly meetings with the CEO/founder of MajorTim.space, Amelia Jane Piper. Each meeting has a different speaker or activity.
Plus, the following year when we welcome our new ambassadors, you will help present and pass on the roles – sharing your tips and advice.
The judges –
Herb Baker
Patron of MajorTim.space.
Herb recently retired from NASA after 42 years at JSC, KSC & NASA Headquarters having worked in the Space Shuttle, Space Station & Orion program offices and managing the business office supporting Flight Operations.
He is currently on the Board of Directors for the JSC NASA Alumni League and volunteers at Space Center Houston.
Andrew Smyth
Finalist of The Great British Bake Off in 2016.
He works at Rolls-Royce – researching Future Aircraft Concepts.
He is known for the popular Baking Impossible Show.
Dr Jackie Bell
Mathematician & theoretical particle physicist – based at Imperial College London.
A contestant on the BBC’s ‘Astronauts: Do You Have What it Takes?’ programme – She was selected from from over 3,500 applicants to take part and undertake tests similar to those used in the astronaut selection at major space agencies.
Jackie has won multiple awards for her work!
She’s from Liverpool, UK.
Amelia Jane Piper
CEO/Founder/manager of MajorTim.space.
Amelia is a public speaker, science communicator, photographer, Podcaster, coder, video editor and graphics designer.
A degree student studying Earth Science bsc.
She won the title of ‘UKSEDS Outreach Ambassador of the Year 2020’ in recognition of her voluntary non-profit work.
ENTRANTS MUST BE UK RESIDENTS ONLY. You must be at least 7 and no older than 14 on the date entries close – 12th March 2022
Here is the timeline of dates –
6th December 2021 – Applications open
CLOSING DATE EXTENDED to 12th March 2022 – Applications close
Date to be announced – Virtual Awards Ceremony
Time to be confirmed – we will email all entrants beforehand to confirm details
In the application form you will need to answer all questions and provide a valid phone number along with email address. (this must belong to your parents/guardians).
In the final box you need to provide a link to a video – in which you explain why you would like to be an Ambassador.
Instructions for how to upload your video are included in the application form.
We look forward to receiving your entry!
The Application Period has now ended.
Terms and Conditions
Eligibility: Open to UK residents (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) aged 7 – 14.
Entries: Only one entry per person. All additional entries will be disqualified.
There is no cash or alternative prizes, in whole or part.
The titles are not transferable and cannot be resold.
Copyright: By entering the competition, each entrant grants the Promoter a world-wide, perpetual, royalty free, sub-licensable right and licence to use reproduce, modify, adapt, publish or display (in whole or in part) any intellectual property contained in the content of their entry, without royalty, payment or other compensation. Each Entrant agrees not to assert any moral rights in relation to such use and warrants that they have full authority to grant such rights.
Videos accompanying the application must be set to unlisted –
if made public, the entry will be disqualified.
Judges will not enter any conversation about judging and all decisions are final.
Any personal information that entrants share will be kept secure and only used in line with these terms and conditions.
By entering the promotion, entrants agree that their information may be used to administer the competition and winners consent to give their name for winners promotional material.
By submitting the application you are granting photo/video consent for your child.
Computers play such a big role in our lives that it’s important to know how they were invented and modified to be what they are today.
Image source – Meeting Tomorrow
The first computer is said to have been invented between 1833 and 1871 by a man named Charles Babbage. He dedicated about forty years of his life to computers and invented a machine called the Analytical Engine, which was programmed by punch cards and could solve calculations.
A good friend of Charles was a lady named Ada Lovelace who was inspired by Charles and worked with him. Lovelace recognised what the Analytical Engine was capable of. She is seen as the world’s first computer programmer.
In the early 1900’s, computers used mechanical or electrical systems to perform computations, for example, wheel and disk mechanisms. Around the time of the Second World War, these progressed to machines where electrical switches drove mechanical devices to perform calculations and the binary system of numbers was used, making computers easier to build and more reliable. These electromechanical mechanisms were soon replaced by purely electronic circuits.
The era of modern computers is widely believed to have been started in 1936 by Alan Turing, from London. He had the idea of storing a program in the computer’s memory. He died young, committing suicide after being treated badly for being gay. Computers at that time were large devices that required specialist users.
Personal computers for non-experts to use at home were developed in the 1970’s. A firm called MITS made the first personal computer and then other companies like Apple, Commodore and IBM began to sell their own versions.
Advances in operating systems and computer circuits have since meant faster, more powerful and smaller home computers.
In fact computers now are everyday objects, in the form of smartphones.
By MajorTim.space 2021-2022 Young Ambassador, Seren Shaw (age 12)
