This story first appeared on KCCI’s website.
Students at Horizon Science Academy Des Moines are bringing space exploration into the classroom by coding drones to simulate NASA’s Artemis II mission.
As part of the project, students programmed drones to rise, orbit, and descend, mirroring the spacecraft’s planned path around Earth and the moon. The activity connects computer science, mathematics, and real-world applications, giving students a hands-on way to engage with complex STEM concepts.
For IT Coordinator Selim Gedik, the experience goes beyond coding.
"I feel like the moon race is starting again, and we're raising, hopefully, the astronauts of the future," IT coordinator Selim Gedik said. "And it gives me a lot of joy to see they are able to imagine being an astronaut or a space woman, spaceman, and that dangerous mission for the whole humanity."
The learning experience extends beyond the classroom. Students will visit the Drake Municipal Observatory to explore moon cycles and use telescopes, reinforcing what they have learned through observation and exploration.
