Sophie, a year 12 student at Southland Girls’ High School, receives $50,000 to go towards tertiary education after winning the Student Endeavour award.
At the awards ceremony at Parliament on Monday night, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the prizes highlighted the extraordinary talent and vision driving New Zealand’s space industry forward.
"Sophie’s innovative research exploring how South Island’s natural materials could enhance wound care for astronauts is highly impressive," he said.
"This kind of forward-thinking not only holds promise for space exploration but also for the future of healthcare on Earth."
Christchurch’s Stefan Powell, the co-founder and CEO of Dawn Aerospace, was named the winner of the Excellence award and receives $100,000.
- Allied Media
