From a successful space mission to a road registered electric vehicle conversion, Queenwood students are putting their knowledge, creativity and persistence to work through hands-on engineering.
At the Queenwood Space Agency, the first Year 5 crew of 2026 has made it safely back to Earth. The mission may be simulated, but the students’ celebrations are entirely real.
Now in its eighth year, the Queenwood Space Agency (QSA) has become a much-anticipated part of Year 5, bringing programming, engineering and imagination together in an experience that puts students’ problem-solving skills to work.
Built using repurposed computer equipment, Arduino code, flashing lights, and a considerable amount of hot glue, the simulated spacecraft provides a setting for girls to apply technical knowledge, collaborate and respond to challenges as they work towards a shared goal.
The successful return marks the culmination of that work, and the students’ reaction is worth seeing for yourself.
From derelict ute to electric vehicle
While the Space Agency gives younger students a taste of engineering through a simulated mission, the QUTE (‘Queenwood Ute’ = QUTE) Project demonstrates what happens when secondary school girls take on a complex technical challenge that unfolds over several years.
The project began in 2022 with an ambitious undertaking: restore a derelict 1975 Suzuki Carry ute and convert it into an electric vehicle.
What arrived as a rusted, incomplete vehicle became a sustained engineering project involving mechanical restoration, electrical systems, design decisions and the practical challenges of converting an ageing vehicle to electric power.
Working alongside specialist teachers and industry experts, our girls have helped rebuild the ute, incorporating an electric motor and repurposed battery components from a Nissan Leaf.
QUTE has now received its Engineering Compliance Certificate, an important milestone that makes the vehicle eligible for road registration.
The achievement represents years of technical learning, testing and problem-solving, with students working through the demands of a project where solutions must meet real engineering and regulatory requirements.
Image: QUTE Project Engineering Compliance Certificate
With QUTE now ready for registration, keep an eye out for the vehicle on the roads around Mosman and Balmoral, and follow the team’s progress on the QUTE Project website.
Different challenges, shared foundations
The Queenwood Space Agency and QUTE offer students different ways into STEM, each giving girls firsthand experience of what their knowledge, ideas and collective effort can accomplish.
Across Queenwood’s broader STEM offering, including coding, robotics, engineering, solar racing and practical design projects, girls encounter different applications of mathematics, science and technology. These experiences allow students to discover their interests, develop practical skills and understand how different disciplines work together.
Working through unsuccessful attempts, considering the consequences of design decisions, listening to others’ expertise and taking responsibility for a shared outcome also develops the curiosity, judgement, collaboration and persistence required to solve complex challenges.
In a field where women remain underrepresented, these opportunities belong at the heart of a Queenwood education. Girls gain experience as designers, builders and problem-solvers long before they decide where those capabilities might take them.
