Space Centre Houston with former NASA Engineer, Jeri Brown

The Centre houses the world’s largest public display of Lunar Rocks as well as a collection of actual space suits that trace the history of American Manned Space Flight. There are a range of interactive simulators from Virtual systems to friction free mission based tasks that illustrate Newton’s Laws.

The group took an exciting journey through the history of space in the Lunar Vaults, with rocket scientists, getting up close to the very capsules that have taken humans into space.

They also visited the world’s most advanced rocket engine, which generates plasma which is hotter than the sun.

" Jeri was a seriously captivating tour guide! " - Tom Cullum

Plasma Rocket Engine at Ad Astra

The group visited Ad Astra Rocket Company and experience a one in a lifetime chance to see a plasma rocket firing. The plasma rocket engine has ion drives, just like in Star Trek!

There, they met former astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz, CEO of the company. Chang-Diaz shares the record for the most spaceflights ever, and now that he is back on earth has become a spokesman for environmental protection, and a pioneer in the field of plasma technology.

" It was fantastic to see the amazing equipment, such as the massive vacuum chamber at Ad Astra. It was so great to see significant investment into research in the private sector. " - Peter Blyton

Behind the Scenes Tour of Johnson Space Center

A unique behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Centre from former head George Abbey, who oversaw many important expeditions. JSC is the home of astronaut training, the historic Mission Control which supervised the moon landings and the International Space Station Control Room.

" Being in the same room at Mission Control where all the action was during the moon landing was an awesome experience. The live ISS room and the new control facilities were great. The training/mock-up room was fantastic and the shuttle simulator was massively impressive. " - Craig Hattersley

Michael Foale

The evening was spent with the record-breaking ISS commander at Mamma Cita’s restaurant, and the group had yet another chance to converse with a real astronaut about their experiences.

" It was unbelievable to hear first-hand from Michael Foale, who helped save the MIR space station, and be able to have casual conversation with someone who has done so much. " - Rachelle Ferber

San Jacinto

The tallest monument in the USA, and was a fascinating place to learn and gain an understanding of the history and culture of Texas.

" It was interesting seeing the history behind Texas at the San Jacinto monument. It was good also having something to see, walking around and exploring in our own time and having a break from the amazing space related activities! " - Oliver Grenfell

Rice University

In the afternoon, the team visited the world renowned Rice University for a day of space and bio-medical research.

They met with world class scientists and researchers, including James Tour, the renowned nanotechnologist.

They also saw the state-of-the-art Nobel Prize winning Nanotechnology Labs.

" James Tour is such an inspirational person. He really puts the power of science into perspective and it was terrific to hear him speak! " - John Furness

Steve Swanson, Ron Garan, Cady Coleman and Mike Fossum

The day ended with a dinner at BJ’s Diner with an all-star guest-list of active astronauts; Steve Swanson, Ron Garan, Cady Coleman and Mike Fossum.

David Alexander

The group received a lecture from director of the Rice Space Institute David Alexander.

" David Alexander had a wealth of knowledge on current private space endeavours, and it was fascinating to hear the insider view of these companies, i.e. SpaceX, Bigalow. " - Andrew Nobbs

Houston Museum of Natural Science Challenger Mission

A full Mission Simulation using the latest Challenger simulation equipment! Participants undertook different roles to ensure a successful mission.

" The Challenger Mission was a great experience as it had a very hands-on approach to mission controlling and pulling off a team effort. It taught me how to handle failures, and it was definitely a good experience " - Eelaf Mohammed

Tony Antonelli, Shannon Walker and Scott Kelly, and Tim Peake

A unique behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Centre from former head George Abbey, who oversaw many important expeditions. JSC is the home of astronaut training, the historic Mission Control which supervised the moon landings and the International Space Station Control Room.

Cocoa Beach

The crew were getting ready to fly to Florida when they were met by George Abbey once more, who bade them farewell on the next leg of their journey!

They arrived in Florida at 19:07 and checked in to their hotel at Cocoa Beach before dinner.

" It was amazing to think that someone like George Abbey, who made such an impact on all of us, took time out of his day to make the effort to come and say goodbye. " - Rachelle Ferber

Cape Canaveral Tour

The tour was a journey through the history of human space exploration, visiting the historic original launch sites, the site of the Apollo 1 tragedy, the original launch control block, launch pads for the un-manned rockets and probes that explore our solar system and the world’s top Rocket Park.

"The Cape is full of brilliant and historic sites. We could stand on the real launch pads and see the block rooms with original 50s and 60s equipment! It was breath-taking to see active launch pads! " - John Furness

Kennedy Space Centre Tour (VAB)

An up close exploration of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The group saw first-hand where the gigantic vehicles were first assembled for launch and find out what the future holds for further missions into space.

They were astounded by the staggering 456 foot tall bay doors (the tallest doors in the world!) and walked along the edge of the Transfer Aisle, used to move elements of rockets among the building’s four High Bays.

"The VAB was a massive building, we had a good tour guide and it was brilliant to see the size and scale of the facility (and the crawlers!) " - Craig Hattersley

Jay Honeycutt

The group then met former KSC Director Jay Honeycutt at Ying Yang’s restaurant for dinner.

"Jay was an incredibly interesting man, with such in-depth knowledge and stories from the manned space programme. " - Michael Bolzon

Astronaut Training Experience

The team got to work in the Space Shuttle and Mission Control Simulators, experiencing the exciting Multi-Axis Trainer, 4g Centrifuge, Zero Gravity Wall and the Lunar Walk!

"The ATX included an excellent combination of the shuttle landing simulation, mission, and weightless experiences. The zero-g training wall was fantastic! " - Peter Blyton

Kennedy Space Centre - Part 2

A great day that included visiting the Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibition, the amazing Apollo / Saturn V Centre. The group also had a chance to enjoy the Space Shuttle Launch Experience, see IMAX movies, visit the Early Space Exploration exhibition, and shop in the world’s largest space shop!

"This was the first shuttle I’d ever seen, and it was the most incredible vehicle I’ve ever seen in real life. The manner in which it was displayed was spectacular, and the launch experience was really cool as well. " - Luke Air

Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge

The team received a full tour of the wildlife refuge, featuring alligators, turtles and manatees!

They also carried out a lagoon survey with Wildlife Rangers as part of their vital research.

"Really enjoyed the boardwalk next to the main office; saw many interesting critters and colourful birds. I’m glad we saw the manatees in the end! " - Andrew Nobbs

Lunch with Mike McCulley

The group then had a dinner with retired astronaut Mike McCulley, who was full of fascinating stories from his illustrious career.

"It was fantastic to hear first-hand about Mike’s career! From metallurgy, to being a jet pilot, to his critical role in the shuttle programme as both an astronaut and engineer. Mike is evidence that you can do it all! " - Peter Blyton

Planetarium and Observatory

A private showing in one of the world's largest planetariums, followed by observation of the night sky through the observatory’s superb telescope system.

"The solar film was epic! I loved the experiments in the foyer, especially the Van De Graph generator! " - John Furness

Chill in the Sunshine

A relaxing morning at the pool and beach, departing from Florida to arrive in Washington at 17:40 to check into hotel for dinner.

A Tour of the US Capitol

The United States Capitol in Washington is a symbol of the American people and their government, and an important meeting place for national legislature.

The Capitol houses an important collection of American art, and it is an architectural achievement in its own right. The team had a private tour of some of the more historical highlights.

The group saw some of Washington’s greatest sites:

• Washington Monument
• Lincoln Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• White House
• National Mall
• Reflecting Pool
• Constitution Gardens, as well as other sites made famous during the World Wars and a range of memorials

"It was beautiful walking along the wall and reflecting pool at dusk. The monument was worth seeing for the sheer significance, as well as the White House. " - Michael Bowen

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre

A behind the scenes tour of the Goddard Space Flight Centre, the home of the USA’s largest group of scientists, engineers, technologists and environmentalists.

The team met scientists from Landsat who build spacecraft, monitor the Hubble Space Telescope, study the sun, the solar system and the universe and carry out environmental and Earth research. Goddard currently houses the unfinished James Webb Telescope, which is still under construction.

"It was great to talk with the team operating Landsat. The centre was full of diverse and interesting projects " - Andrew Meldrum

Tour of Naval Academy

The group received a tour of the US Naval Academy from space shuttle commander and former Navy Captain Ken Ham.

"I enjoyed seeing the labs and facilities at the Academy. The campus itself was also rich with heritage and culture! " - John Furness

Dinner with Ken & Michelle Ham, and Ken Reightler

They then sat down to dinner with Ken, his wife and astronaut trainer Michelle, and retired astronaut Ken Reightler.

"Ken was very engaging; he challenged ideas, and offered very reasonable answers to all my questions. I could tell that he had a real passion for encouraging people’s pursuit of space travel. " - Andrew Nobbs

Breakfast with Charles Bolden

The team were greeted for breakfast by former Space Shuttle Commander and current NASA Administrator Charles Bolden! It was an extremely rare opportunity for the group to learn about the inner-workings at the top of America’s space programme.

"Breakfast with Charlie was a rare opportunity to hear first-hand about the future of human exploration and the real science that occurs at NASA, benefiting all life on earth! " - Andrew Meldrum

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, National Mall

The group saw the thousands of historical artefacts on display, including the Wright 1903 Flyer; the Spirit of St. Louis; the Apollo 11 command module Columbia; and a Lunar rock sample.

They also received a tour of the History of Flight and learnt how human flight actually came into being.

Arlington National Cemetery

The group discovered Washington’s history in one of the largest cemeteries in America. Visiting Arlington is like a tour of US history since the civil war. Arlington Cemetery honours those who have fallen in battle fighting for their country. The cemetery was also a memorable location from war film, Saving Private Ryan.

Arlington contains the memorials for both the Challenger and Columbia disasters and also JFK's eternal flame.

They also visited the tomb of the unknown, which contains the remains of unknown soldiers from the World Wars.

"It was amazing to go and see something that is so significant to the people of the USA, and such a great sight to see. The changing of the guards was particularly amazing. " - Rachelle Furber

Piers Sellers

For dinner, the group met up with British-born former astronaut Piers Sellers (OBE) who is also notable for his respected work in the field of meteorology.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - Steven. F. Udvard-Hazy

On their final visit, the group took a tour of the museum, which houses the Discovery and Space Capsule Gemini VII alongside the amazing Discovery gallery. They walked amongst a huge variety of aircraft parked on the ground, and observed the historic artefacts dotted around on ground and hanging from the ceiling.

The tour delved into the history of aircraft and jets and discover how far we’ve come in flight development.

They also saw the permanent memorial to those who dedicated their lives to flight at the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honour.

"Probably the best museum we went to, it had so many cool aircraft! " - Mike Bolzon

The team waved goodbye to the US, and flew from Dulles Airport back to Adelaide!

"I found the trip to be life changing, as I got to have casual conversations with incredible people. It was definitely a motivational boost for my studies. " - Eelaf Mohamed