Whitchurch High School pupils Julia McIlquham and Carolyn Dugon

The group of 11 teenagers from six schools jetted off for their prize from the Science in Space 2003 competition run by the International Space School Educational Trust.

The winning teams from Cardiff, Flintshire, Swansea and Llangollen are spending two weeks visiting the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and the Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Whitchurch High School pupils Julia McIlquham and Carolyn Dugon have written a report for BBC News Online of their first week's experiences:

Winning schools St Richard Gwyn School, Flintshire Llanrumney High School, Cardiff Whitchurch High School, Cardiff Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Swansea Birchgrove Comprehensive School, Swansea Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen

"Wales - this is Kennedy calling with our progress report - our mission so far has been successful.

"Firstly, we went on a visitors' tour of Kennedy Space Centre, where we saw the International Space Station IMAX film; it was out of this world.

"We also had the honour of meeting a real astronaut, who talked about his experiences in space.

"We then had a tourist view of the Kennedy Space Centre, including the famous Saturn V rockets which took man to the Moon.

"There was even the opportunity to touch a piece of the Moon!

"The next day was when we saw a different side to Kennedy Space Centre - the wildlife aspect.

We managed to see many rare mammals and birds, including the Bald Eagle, Scrub Jays and the really cute Manatees.

"Wednesday began at the Astronaut Hall of Fame, where we learnt the facts about the space missions and saw lots of memorabilia.

"But the best part was the 3G-force simulator ride, which gave us a similar sensation to that experienced by astronauts during launch.

"In the afternoon, we went to SeaWorld, which was a really interesting experience.

"We had a behind-the-scenes tour, which allowed us to touch a shark and see the medical and rehabilitation clinic.

"During the Shamu killer-whale show, Julia managed to display her intellectual powers by answering a very difficult question and being shown on the big screen in the middle of the stage.

"The highlight of the trip so far has been the behind-the-scenes, V.I.P only, tour of Kennedy Space Centre.

"We saw the space shuttle Endeavour up close, we went inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), which is the second largest building in the world in terms of volume.

"We were even allowed to hold a shuttle heat tile.

Our next stop in the V.I.P tour was the International Space Station processing facility, where we could see real parts of the Space Station that will be shipped off into space in the near future.

"In the last part of the tour came a rare treat - a chance to see one of the Mars rovers currently being completed, ready to be launched to Mars in the next few months.

"All the areas are restricted, not normally seen by the public, or even some NASA employees.

So far, we have had an amazing time, and each day is getting better and better.

"Just when we think we have the ultimate experience, something even more spectacular seems to follow.

"We can't wait for next week. Houston, here we come."