Rocket Lab Tour

On Wednesday 24 July, a group of 19 students and 5 staff members were invited to Rocket Lab for a special behind-the-scenes tour. Rocket Lab is a private aerospace manufacturer and small satellite launch service provider based in Mount Wellington. This incredible opportunity was offered to us by Rocket Lab in response to the students impacted by the closure of Actura/Space Camp.

Students learned about the innovative approach Rocket Lab has taken to manufacture and launch their flagship ‘Electron’ rocket for various companies. They were privileged to see the Electron rocket in production and learn about the various stages of development and the specialist equipment used to test different innovations. They observed engineers, scientists, mathematicians, marketing teams, and others in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Science (STEAM) field and were able to make important connections between classroom learning and authentic real-world applications.

One of the important messages shared by the team at Rocket Lab was the importance of the capabilities and dispositions needed to thrive in a STEAM environment. These include collaboration, clear communication skills, problem-solving, and growth mindsets. For us, this connects to our Āheitanga – the capabilities and dispositions woven into our teaching and learning programmes.

It was a wonderful experience, and we are grateful to Rocket Lab for responding with compassion to our students and giving them this opportunity.