A FREE family science festival returns to the Borders this weekend.

This year Bang goes the Borders, for children between the ages of five and 13, is exploding with possibilities for young would-be scientists.

The event, which will be held at St Mary’s School in Melrose on Saturday, September 20, from 10am to 4pm, is back for a fourth time and this time it is quite simply out of this world.

From DNA to Chocolate, Fire Science to Bubble Technology, Bacterial Commonwealth Games to Sticky Structures, there are plenty of new and exciting workshops and presentations to keep young minds active and busy all day, but don’t worry, old favourites like 'Scab in a Cup’, Explosions! and the ever popular ZooLab will be here too!

But the most exciting news is that there will be a direct space link up with NASA. One sign of the growing maturity of the festival is the reputation of the speakers who get involved.

This year sees the reach of the day go far beyond the Borders as a video question and answer session will take place between Melrose and the Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers in Houston and Florida. Dr Sara Shinton explained that the session will give children an almost unique opportunity to speak to astronauts and to be given a virtual tour of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. “We are all terribly excited by the chance to talk to astronauts Jim Reilly and Alvin Drew, so we’d like to ask everyone who comes to start thinking about the things they’ve always wanted to know about space and space travel, but never had the chance to ask.” The event will be compered by Professor Charles Cockell, the Director of the UK Space Centre for Astrobiology who will also be speaking earlier in the day about his research into life on other planets. Sara said: “The sponsorship and support we receive from Rathbone Investment Management and Heriot-Watt University is amazing. We are so grateful to have found not one, but two organisations who share our vision of inspiring hundreds of children with a love of science and hopefully creating new opportunities for their future careers.” The Science Café will be open throughout the day. Remember, there are only 500 goodie bags. The advice is come early, there’s so much to see and do.