Dundee space cadets have launched their own rockets as part of Tayside Space School.
Six teams, containing pupils from across the city’s primary schools, launched the rockets in Dundee High School car park.
The water pressure rockets were designed and constructed by the pupils themselves and flew more than 20 feet into the air.
The launch marked the second day of the week-long course at Abertay University, which is featuring classes from Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason and Nasa space educator Patricia Tribe.
“One of the main aims of Space School is to inspire the children to continue with science when they go into secondary school, so hopefully that will happen,” said Dr Alan Bruce, a senior lecturer in microbiology who manages the course.
“Maybe some of them can become astronauts one day, but the real hope is to encourage them to consider science and feedback from parents has been very positive about that.”
The 40 Dundee cadets, all in P6, are learning alongside another 40 primary school children in Perth who are taking part in their own space school.
The course contains classes on everything space related, from Neil Armstrong and the Moon landings to how some techniques that were developed to be used in space have actually been adapted to be used on Earth as well.
Dr Bruce said: “The problem with talking about space is that it can often seem like all the exciting things happen very far away and aren’t relevant to our lives here in Scotland, so hopefully what Space School does is bring the science behind the subject a little closer to home making it seem more accessible to the children and really sparking their imaginations.
“As well as presentations from Bjarni and Patricia, there’ll be lots of activities for the young space cadets to try their hand at.
“They’ll be making their own Mission Patches, building a Mars Rover, designing their own space suits, and even holding their own press conference,” he added.
The week will culminate with the Tayside Space School Graduation Ceremony on Friday.