Space settlement design competition lets school students aim for NASA’s stars

Imperial helps secondary students to compete at the Sixteenth Annual International Space Settlement Design Competition <em>- News</em>

Imperial College London News Release

For Immediate Release
Tuesday 5 May 2009

A new competition that could see secondary school students winning a trip to NASA’s space centre in the USA is announced today.

Students will need to answer three short questions for the chance to represent the UK in the Sixteenth Annual International Space Settlement Design Competition, held at the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.

This is the first time that UK pupils are being given the chance to take part in the competition, in which twelve finalist teams from around the world will compete to design the best fictional international space settlement. The US competition aims to give secondary school students first-hand experience of what it is like to work in the aerospace industry.

Imperial College London is running the search for a winning UK team to send to the USA, in association with the organisation Youth Exploring Science (YES).

Students must design a settlement that will enable residents to live and work in space

At the US competition, the winning team will meet astronauts, space shuttle engineers and other experts, who will teach them about space exploration, engineering and management.

The team will have a go at being aerospace engineers, exploring how to overcome a range of design challenges as they develop their proposals. These will include how to grow food in space and recycle the air so that it is breathable. The students will also have to work out how to design workspaces, homes and recreational facilities that are liveable.

The team will need to consider how the settlement will generate its own energy, recycle human waste and provide clean water, as well as running communication and transport systems that will enable its occupants to keep in contact with Earth.

Imperial is involved in the competition because it wants to inspire and motivate students to learn more about science. Dr Randall Perry, from the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, will be one of the panellists choosing the UK team. He says:

“The winning UK team will get the chance to talk to world leading scientists who are at the cutting edge of space exploration. We hope they will be inspired and see that there are many exciting and varied career opportunities in science and engineering. Who knows, we could be inspiring the next generation of engineers who will actually design real space settlements for the colonists of the future.”

In the US competition, engineers from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics will judge the proposals and will award a trophy to the winners.

Dr Michael Perring, Chairman of YES, adds: “It would be great to see a UK school win the first year that they have been allowed to compete. I encourage schools from around the country to enter.”

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For further information please contact:

Colin Smith
Press Officer
Imperial College London
Email: cd.smith@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6712
Out of hours duty press officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248

Notes to editors:

1. About the UK and US competitions:

a) School teams wishing to represent the UK must download an entry form and answer three short questions. These must be submitted before 15 May 2009. Entry forms and details can be downloaded at www.yescience.org

b) The Sixteenth Annual International Space Settlement Design Competition will be held at the NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, from 31 July to 4 August 2009.

2. About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 13,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality.

Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve health in the UK and globally, tackle climate change and develop clean and sustainable sources of energy.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk