Space: an interview with a scientist who changes poo into rocket fuel

In this interview text for year 4 and P5, linking to the topic Earth and space, Dr Pratap Pullammanappallil explains how he discovered he could turn poo into rocket fuel. NASA was planning to build a base on the Moon where astronauts would spend long periods of time. Enormous energy is required for lifting rockets into space. After a Moon mission, how would the astronauts return to Earth? They would have to carry fuel to the Moon for the return journey. This is where his experience of using microorganisms to convert waste into fuel would help. Astronauts would generate waste whilst living on the Moon base so he decided to convert it into fuel.

This downloadable reading pack includes:

• An A3 reading spread for you to print.
• Reading comprehension question and answer sheets, differentiated using our magnifying glasses key (on the bottom right). One magnifying glass indicates easier and two means harder.