If you are a high school student who has always dreamed about what space exploration and colonization would look like, then this program could be just for you! The International Space Settlement Design Competition imagines an alternate reality where humans are building outposts in space and invites you to design habitats, mines, and other construction projects.

This program gives structure to your ideas and, by working in large groups, you can gain valuable experience in teamwork and collaboration, which can help you in college and beyond.

What is the International Space Settlement Design Competition all about?

The  International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC) is organized by Aerospace Education Competitions and Space Settlement Design Competitions (SSDC), volunteer-led organizations that promote space exploration among young learners. The two organizations collaborate with the National Space Society, a global space advocacy organization to run the tournament in different regions worldwide. 

The ISSDC is an international industry-simulation competition that invites high school students worldwide to participate in building off-Earth construction projects. Students participate in teams of prime contractors and subcontractors — companies hired by a client to complete a project and companies that offer specialized goods and services required to complete a project. These teams can be as large as 50-60 students, simulating working for a large, real-life project. The program runs in a five-year chronology, meaning that each year deals with a different stage of space exploration. If you participate in this program multiple times, each year’s experience will be unique.

Who can apply for the program?

All high school students worldwide are eligible to apply. 

What do the winners get?

Up to 32 global finalist teams are invited to participate in the International Finals that take place at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. There is no additional monetary prize.

Is the program prestigious?

The ISSDC is moderately prestigious and competitive. The competition is run independently by a non-profit (and not by a recognized institution like NASA), which lowers its prestige. While it is held globally, its reach is limited to only 12 regional events worldwide, which limits the number of students who apply. Additionally, there is no monetary prize or additional recognition for regional and international finalists and winners.

What are the important dates?

The competition finals take place in late July each year. Since the competition is conducted worldwide, dates for regional events can vary. You can register for the competition here to learn more about applicable deadlines.

What does the competition include?

Students work in “companies” of up to 50-60 employees and gain experience working in a large team that drafts an aerospace industry proposal. Each company has a “CEO,” usually a professional working in the aerospace industry, who gives students technical and management training. Students must define a structure for their project and determine the construction methods and needs — water and electricity required, computers and robotics systems needed, provide a budget, design a blueprint, and more.

Scenarios students design projects for are based on a pre-determined five-year space exploration strategy. They are as follows:

• Year 1: Building settlements and expanding infrastructure in the Earth’s orbit, on the Moon, and in cis-lunar space.

• Year 2: Expanding human settlement to include banking and commerce centers, lunar mining, and asteroid capture.

• Year 3: Building settlements and expanding infrastructure on and near Mars, including crew transfer ports and transportation hubs.

• Year 4: Begin terraforming Mars, expand human settlements into the asteroid belt

• Year 5: Mining on Mercury and Venus, transporting minerals from these planets back to Earth

While the project outlines remain the same and are repeated every five years, the specifics can vary greatly, meaning students who participate more than once will never do the same project twice. 

How is the competition structured?

There are four main events involved in the competition that can vary depending on the region you are from:

• Qualifying: School teams spend several months preparing their project, presenting their design in a 40-page proposal. Organizers select four 12-member teams for the finals from among the international submissions.
  

• Preliminary: If you live outside the U.S. or Canada, you may have to participate in a preliminary round to reach the semifinals. These could include special scenarios designed by the organizing committee.  
  

• Semi-finals: The regional semifinal is a weekend event that sees students grouped into up to five “companies” and spend the weekend drafting a design and presenting it to the judges present. Four regional events take place in the U.S., and one in Canada, Latin America, Africa, the UK, Europe, India, China, and Australia respectively. From here, twelve 12-member teams are selected for the finals.
  

• International finals: Participating teams here include four teams from the international qualifying round, 12 teams from the regional semifinals, and up to eight teams invited by the organizers at their discretion. The participants here are grouped into four companies. The event is held at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida and students have the weekend to present their proposals.

Tips to help you win the International Space Settlement Design Competition:

1. Start early

The initial qualifying round takes place over several months in your schools, and your school program coordinator can even include it as part of the course curriculum. The 40-page proposal can be time-consuming, and we recommend you start as early as possible with ample time for revisions to submit your best effort.

2. Use available resources

The program website offers tutorials to familiarize yourself with the many themes associated with space exploration and colonization. These include information on space settlement studies conducted by NASA in the 1970s, space vehicles, tips on creating real-life contractor proposals with budgets, schedules to complete work, and more. 

3. Familiarize yourself with space terminology

SSDC has a glossary available online with words and phrases specific to the competition that are unlikely to form a part of your daily vocabulary (think: avionics, air-breathing engine, downweight, fines, payload, and rectenna, to name a few). Familiarizing yourself with these terms ensures you will be clear with terminology on the competition days.

4. Clearly understand the scope of the competition

The ISSDC works in a five-year chronology that details a possible roadmap to space exploration and colonization. It is important to remember which phase of space exploration corresponds to your participation year. For example, 2024 corresponds to Year 2, when human economy and settlements expand within the Earth’s orbit and on the Moon. In 2025, settlements and economic activity will begin on Mars.

5. Practice!

The best way to prepare for any competition is to practice. The competition’s organizers have practice scenarios available online that you and your team can use to familiarize yourselves with the tasks you will be asked to do. One practice scenario available online is to design a vehicle to explore the surface of Mars. You will have to provide a statement of work, list the engineering requirements, provide an estimated cost, and more.

One Other Option — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’d like to participate in a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you may want to consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Kieran Lobo is a freelance writer from India.

Image Source: International Space Settlement Design Competitions logo