NSS Space Settlement Contest
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 NSS Space Settlement Contest | |
 | |
| Formerly | NASA Space Settlement Contest |
|---|---|
| Sport | Design competition |
| Founded | NASA Ames Research Center |
| First season | 1994 |
| Organising body | National Space Society |
| Motto | "Per Aspera Ad Astra" |
| No. of teams | 5,200+ (2024)[1] |
| Countries | |
| Most recent champion(s) | Romania (2024) |
The NSS Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest (formerly the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest) is an annual design competition by the National Space Society for middle and high school students across the world. Held annually, students use physics, biological, and geological concepts to develop space settlement designs. These designs are composed in research papers and submitted for judging in February, with results usually announced the following month in March. Contenders can compete in three categories: as individuals, as part of a "small group" of up to six students, or as part of a "large group" of up to twelve students.[2]
The contest, renamed in the honor of American physicist Gerard K. O'Neill in 2023,[3] judges and awards teams separately based on their grade and team size; small group projects are graded separately than large group projects, while sophomore teams are graded separately than senior teams. One team each year, regardless of grade or team size, is awarded the "Grand Prize" and crowned that year's champion. The contest's 30th year ran in 2024, with Romania's Tudor Vianu crowned champions.[4]
History
[edit]The contest originates from physicist O'Neill's work on space exploration and was co-founded by NASA Ames Research Center scientist Al Globus in 1994.[5] The inaugural contest received 23 submissions from 60 students, with submissions and student numbers increasing in the following years to 601 students in 2007.[6] In 2007, NASA Ames and the National Space Society (NSS) signed a Space Act Agreement to further the contest's growth.[6]
By 2018, the contest, now operated in conjunction with San Jose State University and the NSS, expanded internationally and received some 2,500 submissions from over 10,000 students.[7] In 2019, contest sponsorship was fully transferred to the NSS and renamed in 2023 to the NSS Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest, in honor of O'Neill.
Competition
[edit]Components
[edit]The contest focuses on creativity, design, and teamwork. Submissions must relate to a free-floating space settlement, and cannot be attached to a planet or moon, although mining activities may occur on such celestial bodies. Submissions also cannot include any AI-generated work, which includes images and research. Students may submit work including:[8]
- Designs
- Original research
- Essays
- Stories
- Models (e.g. through Tinkercad or SolidWorks)
- Artwork
Awards and prizes
[edit]The top three teams are invited to give a lecture at the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC).[9]
- Grand Prize (Champion): If the team is attending the ISDC, they will receive the $5,000 Herman Rubin Memorial Scholarship and give a talk at the conference.
- Artistic Merit: $500 scholarship
- Literary Merit: $500 scholarship
Champions
[edit]| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1994 | United States |
| 1995 | United States |
| 1996 | Argentina |
| 1997 | United States |
| 1998 | United States |
| 1999 | United States |
| 2000 | Ireland |
| 2001 | United States and Austria (tie) |
| 2002 | United States |
| 2003 | Romania |
| 2004 | Romania |
| 2005 | Romania and India (tie) |
| 2006 | United States and Belgium (tie) |
| 2007 | Romania, Uruguay, and Turkey (tie) |
| 2008 | Romania |
| 2009 | India and Canada (tie) |
| 2010 | United States |
| 2011 | India |
| 2012 | United States and Romania |
| 2013 | United States |
| 2014 | India and Bulgaria |
| 2015 | United States |
| 2016 | South Korea |
| 2017 | India |
| 2018 | Romania |
| 2019 | United States |
| 2020 | United States |
| 2021 | United States |
| 2022 | Ireland |
| 2023 | United States |
| 2024 | Romania |
| 2025 | TBD |
References
[edit]- ^ Alex, Brittney (April 23, 2024). "Peel District School Board Students Claim First, Second, Third and More in the 2024 Global National Space Society Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest". Peel District School Board. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ Joshi, Bharat (March 31, 2016). "NASA contest: Teens script a space odyssey". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ "About the Contest". National Space Society. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ "Romanian Students From Computer Science College in Bucharest Win NASA Space Settlement Contest Grand Prize". The Romania Journal. April 17, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ "Guide to the NASA Student Space Settlement Design Contest Collection". Online Archive of California. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Globus, Al; Globus, Ruth; Sezen, Tugrul; Teah, Hami; Vercoutere, Wenonah; Yager, Bryan (June 2008). "Fifteen Years of NASA Student Space Settlement Design Contests: Some Lessons". ResearchGate. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ Barua, Ananya (April 4, 2018). "Shooting for the stars: Orchid School students take home first prize in Nasa settlement contest". The Hindustan Times. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ "Contest Rules". National Space Society. March 9, 2025.
- ^ "Awards - Scholarships". National Space Society. Retrieved March 9, 2025.