Would you like to win a trip to NASA’s Lyndon. B. Johnson Space Center in America? The UK Space Design Competition gives you and your friends the opportunity to do just that! The UK Space Design Competition is an industry simulation experience open to all current secondary school students in the United Kingdom. We’re gearing up towards the 2012 competition which will take place at Imperial College London on the weekend of 24th-25th March 2012.
Perhaps the best endorsement (or description) of the UK Space Design Competition comes from the words of one of our 2011 company presidents. Amy Gregg, of Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham, has written an article on her experiences for the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) website. Amy later went to America with the 2011 UK international team.
Read Amy Gregg’s Report on the “Women in Science & Engineering” Website
So what is it all about?
The UK Space Design Competition is a residential competition open to all current secondary school students in the United Kingdom. Student teams travel to Imperial College London where, on Saturday morning, they will join with fellow students from several other UK schools to form a simulated design company of up to 40 people.
“When people asked why I was going on the trip this summer, I told them ‘I’m going to build a space station in two days.’ I thought I was joking. It seems I really wasn’t.” – Former Student
Selected members of the winning company will be rewarded with a guaranteed paid place at the International Space Settlement Design Competition, held annually at NASA’s Lyndon. B, Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, USA. All flights, ground transportation and accommodation for this trip will be provided by the Space Science and Engineering Foundation.
“We gained new insight and discovered hidden talents….Many of these skills have become crucial factors in our college lives.” – Former Student
The main aim of the competition is to provide students with an opportunity to take part in a design simulation that exposes them to the joys and challenges of working in a large industrial team. Students will develop a space-based infrastructure that requires complex, challenging, and imaginative thinking leading to an increased interest in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics.
“I was just 5 years old when humans first set foot on the moon, and I suspect that the subsequent space adventures of the 1970s played a big role in inspiring my interest in science and technology. It is great to know that space exploration is helping to inspire the next generation of scientists.” – Dr. Simon Singh, A message to 2011 participants
We look forward to seeing you at our next event in March 2012.
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