Astronaut Colin Bennett Lands Back At Clevedon School

By Jill Dando News

There was a tangible buzz about Clevedon School in Somerset near Bristol, UK as  former student Colin Bennett returned to his school launchpad after a meteoric career with Virgin Galactic. 

Colin, who is now Head of Astronaut Training at Virgin Galactic following time as the Lead Operations Engineer and Director of Mission Control, has inspired thousands of people across the region.

His visit to the school, was part of a busy schedule of work commitments but Colin, who is based in California, was determined to return to his school for a very special reason.

Back in 2021 he was part of the very first crew to fly into space aboard Virgin Spaceship Unity. On this inaugural flight, Colin tucked a Clevedon School "Be Kind, Be Brilliant" flag inside a pocket of his jumpsuit.  This flag was presented back to the school and will form part of a special display marking Colin’s achievements.

After inspiring groups of students and staff, Colin said: “The school was kind enough to send me the flag to take with me to space. It was a huge honour to fly the be kind be brilliant banner in space.

“It's about inspiring the next generation and to show kids and anyone who has dreams of this type of thing, that it is possible. 

“Anyone can do it.”

He added: “There aren't any blueprints for what a career needs to look like. It can be whatever you want it to be as long as you're willing to work hard, have a good attitude, and a passion for what you're doing."

Colin's passion for aerospace and engineering was ignited during his time at Clevedon School, where his teachers' dedication and enthusiasm sparked his curiosity. 

He said: “I can't even begin to explain how much of a privilege it is to be a part of the fairly small group of people that have been to space," he says. "It's only been possible thanks to all the help I've had along the way, including my teachers at Clevedon School."

Despite facing challenges, Colin never let setbacks define him. "You don't need to be the cleverest person in the class to have an awesome career," he emphasizes. 

“What's been a bigger factor and has opened more doors for me is just being genuine, treating people well, and striving to be confident in my abilities while staying humble.”

Now, as an astronaut instructor at Virgin Galactic, Colin is at the forefront of the space industry, playing a crucial role in making space travel more accessible.

"There have only been a handful of people from the UK that have been to space, so I'm honoured to be one of them and especially to be able to fly the flag for Clevedon and the South-West," he proudly declares.

“From the vantage point of space, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that everyone’s already in a big, round spaceship that’s drifting through the universe. 

“It gave me an instant realization that our lives are all inter-woven and we're all in this together. I knew this already but never deeply understood or appreciated it until I saw it with my own eyes.”

Headteacher Jim Smith said: “It was an absolute pleasure to see Colin again. He is an inspiration and the kindness he showed in choosing to take our school flag will forever serve as the most powerful story about what our students can achieve.”