High School Contest to Build and Launch Spacecraft

Angie Fiedler Sutton article

Note: this article was also published on SciFi4Me.com.

If you’re a high school student, then you are eligible for a contest to build a spacecraft that may end up be used by NASA.

The Museum of Science Fiction has partnered with NASA and Cornell University for a global CubeSat competition. According to the press release, CubeSats “are small, grapefruit-size spacecraft that use commercially available space technologies and simple logistics for launch and operation.” NASA offers free services through its CubeSat Launch Initiative, and aligns with the Museum’s educational outreach.

The Museum of Science Fiction has partnered with NASA and Cornell University for a global CubeSat competition. According to the press release, CubeSats “are small, grapefruit-size spacecraft that use commercially available space technologies and simple logistics for launch and operation.” NASA offers free services through its CubeSat Launch Initiative, and aligns with the Museum’s educational outreach.

The competitors must submit a 20-page research design and mission proposal, as well as a five to seven-minute narrative video. The submission must describe how the CubeSat will de-orbit, and should include a ‘killer graphic’, a description of the mission, the technical details (allowing for ‘trade secrets) that include budget, and how the design will work within commercial space concepts. The submissions will be juried by a volunteer panel of commercial space industry experts and teachers, and will be judged based on innovation, commercialization, the technical feasibility, and how realistic the budget will be.

The deadline for submission is January 31, 2016, at 5 pm EST. Nine winners will be chosen, with their design proposal funded, built, and launched. The data obtained during the mission will be shared with participating schools and research organizations, as well as published in Journal of Science Fiction. The awards will be presented as part of Escape Velocity 2016 on July 2.

For more information, including the full list of rules and requirements, visit the Museum of Science Fiction‘s website.