Time is running out for secondary pupils in Clydebank to win a visit to a NASA Space Centre in the USA.

Teens in S5 have the chance to go on the trip of a lifetime to Houston, Texas, if they are selected through this year’s Scottish Space School.

The residential programme at Strathclyde University will take place in June, with 10 of those who attend being selected for the all expenses paid trip to the Johnson Space Center – dubbed the ‘hub of human spaceflight activity’.

Now in its 16th year, the Space School is aimed at S5 pupils currently studying maths and science subjects at Higher level.

The 100 successful pupils will stay on campus at Strathclyde for the duration, with all accommodation and meals included.

The programme is made up of a mix of lectures, labs, and workshops on a space theme, and is delivered by academics and researchers from the Faculty of Engineering.

Pupils will also have the opportunity to meet NASA representatives.

During the week, staff and mentors assess the pupils on the basis of their performance in a series of tasks and activities, their skills as a team leader and a team player, and their general attitude.

Of the students, 40 are then invited to attend a selection workshop, before being whittled down to a final list.

The 10 who are picked will travel to America in October when they will meet and interact with astronauts, engineers and scientists who work for NASA, as well as taking part in a jam-packed programme of activities, including the VIP tour of the Johnson Space Center.

On the tour, students have previously been given special access to the Apollo Mission Control where they sat in the flight director’s chair.

In 2015, the students were able to see astronauts on board the International Space Station preparing for a phone call from then President Barack Obama.

Pupils may also visit the robotics testing area and the neutral buoyancy laboratory, the second largest swimming pool in the world, where astronauts train prior to going on their missions to space.

The deadline to apply is Sunday, January 20 – and students have been warned that no late applications will be accepted. To apply, visit spaceschool.eng.strath.ac.uk/application.aspx.