Four Derby College students are being given the chance to visit Russia's space centre. The successful youngsters will visit mission control in the Korolev (formerly known as Kalingrad) Space City, speak to cosmonauts on the International Space Station and see the sights of Moscow. It's part of an eleven-day 'Space Olympics' event which is aimed at encouraging young people from around the world to go into the space industry. But getting there in the first place will be no space-walk in the park - the students will be chosen from those studying related subjects, such as maths and science, and will have to spend time learning how to speak basic Russian. The Space Olympics started as a way of encouraging Russian students into the space industry and is now an international competition. Students have to give presentations on space themes, undergo exams and perform other tasks to take part. Derby College became involved in the project following a visit from two cosmonauts in the mid 1990s, before the Mir Space Station was brought back down to Earth.
 | | Space hoper: Leah Wenham |
Seventeen-year-old Leah Welhams, from Chaddesden, is among the full-time students hoping to blast off to Russia later this year. She said: "I really want to go. I like to take opportunities. If anyone gives me an opportunity I'm going take it because otherwise there's no point because you won't learn anything and you won't expand any horizons." Leah - who's subjects include maths, science and biology - admits her Russian extends no further than counting to three - so she'd be happy to put in the work to be among those selected. But a career in space isn't top of her list: "I'm more interested in the sea - we know more about space than we know about the bottom of the sea, but it's a start." | 
