The WA Museum – Albany’s “Houston We Have A Problem” program challenged students to see if they had what it takes to be an astronaut through a series of tests, which included working with nuts and bolts while wearing oversize gloves and retrieving objects submersed in liquid while blindfolded.

Museum education officer Jenny Cockburn based the program on how astronauts are selected.

“The program was designed to be fun but was also a realistic interpretation of the selection processes astronauts go through,” Mrs Cockburn said.

“I also wanted it to encourage students and help them understand that if they were seeking to succeed in a career such as this, they really needed to work hard at school now to build up their skills and knowledge.”

NASA receives 4,000 astronaut applications every year. Out of this figure, 117 are accepted to participate in five years of study and training.