It has been almost fifty years since humans last set foot on the Moon . . . and plans are already underway to send astronauts BACK to the Moon’s surface by 2024. These astronauts will STEP where no human has ever been before: the Moon’s South Pole. However, this is only the beginning of a NEW era in space exploration . . . an era in which the space industry is anticipated to undergo exponential growth, sending missions farther and farther away from home. This will require capabilities that far exceed those of our current technology and innovations. Finding solutions to these challenges will require an entirely new skill-set and a collaborative environment to solve, including partnerships that span the globe. 

Join the Space Foundation as we work TOGETHER to prepare the NEXT generation of scientists, engineers, and space pioneers to face the challenges of tomorrow through real-world applications of 21st Century Essential Learning Skills TODAY!

Students in grades 9th – 12th will work collaboratively in teams to design, plan, execute, and present their solution to a specific challenge facing the global space community of tomorrow, as we prepare to move beyond low-Earth orbit and make plans to inhabit the Moon, Mars, and beyond! This challenge will be described in a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP), which will be emailed to the sponsoring adult of each team exactly 24-hours prior to the scheduled student presentation time.

 Students must develop a comprehensive proposal to tackle the presented challenge, including everything to sustain human life, and must also address the following four components: 

•         Underlying Rationale for the Proposal

•         Integrity in Design

•         Economic Sustainability

•         Consistency among all Cooperating Entities