A PROJECT with NASA is giving pupils at Neston School a chance to shine in space.

The space agency is launching a new satellite which will be covered with more than 1,000 mirrors and youngsters at Neston are helping to polish them.

As a reflection of their hard work, the children's names will be on the Starshine 4 satellite as it circles high above the earth.

"This is just the start of the inspiring project NASA and the Nestonauts and is a fantastic opportunity for all our pupils to become involved in the exciting possibilities of space," said headteacher Linda Davies.

Not only will the children be sending their names into space, but they will be chatting with astronauts on the NASA space station, thanks to parent and radio enthusiast Charles Riley, and helping the scientists in America track the satellite.

The Starshine project, which involves 800 schools in 43 countries, will measure variations in the density of the earth's atmosphere during solar storms.

The satellite needs to be highly visible and the mirrors will reflect sunlight flares down to the waiting scientists, including the intrepid Nestonauts, who will measure its orbit as it falls to Earth and eventually burns up in the atmosphere.