The BinarX School Holiday Program has soared to new heights in its latest run!
This year, we welcomed 18 students from 11 Western Australian high schools.
Building on the foundations of last year’s success, the program once again delivered an immersive, hands-on experience in payload engineering and rocketry. Students not only launched their rockets but also took home their very own electronics kits—extending their learning journey beyond the program.
We extend our gratitude to The Fogarty Foundation, who supported the program by subsidising the cost for all participants, as well as providing scholarships for 5 fully funded places within the program. We also wish to thank the WA Government’s Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and the Curtin University School of Earth and Planetary Sciences for their support of the BinarX School Holiday Program 2025.
We were thrilled to host guest speakers from industry and academia, including researchers, scientists, and even a palaeontologist (space and dinosaurs!), all of whom inspired students with the diverse possibilities in STEM and STEM-related careers.
Over the 10-day intensive course, mentored by members of the Binar Space Program and Space Science and Technology Centre, participants:
- Designed, built, and launched custom rockets and payloads (electronic instrument to measure something related to their rocket flight) of their choosing
- Learned hardware and software design principles and an introduction to coding in STM32CubeIDE (C++)
- Created their own custom-made rocket livery and team t-shirts using a CNC vinyl plotter
- Gained experience with sensor data processing, prototyped their electronics on breadboards, and soldered their payloads onto their rocket payload boards.
- Tested their payloads using professional space environment simulation equipment in the Curtin University Faculty of Science and Engineering labs.
- Designed and 3D-printed custom nose cones, modelled rocket trajectories, and processed flight data.
- Showcased their work in presentations to peers, families, and mentors.
The program’s success exemplifies the Binar Space Program’s mission to “put space in the hands of WA”. It not only equips students with foundational skills in space science, engineering and communication, but also connects them to a network of mentors, researchers, and industry professionals, paving a clear pathway to tertiary education and beyond.
A big thank you to all our mentors, guest speakers, and supporters who made this possible. We can’t wait to see how these young innovators shape the future of space science and technology.
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