NSS Space Settlement Contest

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NSS Space Settlement Contest
NSS Space Settlement Contest Logo.jpg
FormerlyNASA Space Settlement Contest
Sport Design competition
Founded NASA Ames Research Center
First season1994
Organising body National Space Society
Motto"Per Aspera Ad Astra"
No. of teams5,200+ (2024) [1]
Countries
Most recent
champion(s)
Romania
(2025)

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. [2] 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. [3]

Contents

The contest, renamed in the honor of American physicist Gerard K. O'Neill in 2023, [4] 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 31st year ran in 2025, with Romania's Saint Sava crowned champions. [5] [6]

History

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. [7] The inaugural contest received 23 submissions from 60 students, with submissions and student numbers increasing in the following years to 601 students in 2007. [8] In 2007, NASA Ames and the National Space Society (NSS) signed a Space Act Agreement to further the contest's growth. [8] [9]

By 2018, the contest, now operated in conjunction with San Jose State University and the NSS, had expanded internationally and received some 2,500 submissions from over 10,000 students. [10] 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

Components

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: [11]

Awards and prizes

At the end of the season, the top three teams are invited to give individual lectures at the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in June. [12] [13]

Champions

YearChampion
1994 United States
1995United States
1996 Argentina
1997United States
1998United States
1999United States
2000 Ireland
2001United States and Austria (tie)
2002United States
2003 Romania
2004Romania
2005Romania and India (tie)
2006United States and Belgium (tie)
2007Romania, Uruguay, and Turkey (tie)
2008Romania
2009India and Canada (tie)
2010United States
2011India
2012United States and Romania
2013United States
2014India and Bulgaria
2015United States
2016 South Korea
2017India
2018Romania
2019United States
2020United States
2021United States
2022Ireland
2023United States
2024Romania
2025 Romania

References

  1. 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.
  2. Shankar, Priyanka (December 6, 2017). "For civilisations in outer space". Deccan Chronicle . Archived from the original on September 18, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. 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.
  4. "About the Contest". National Space Society . Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  5. Anghel, Simona (April 9, 2025). "Liceenii de la "Ovidius", din nou în topul cercetătorilor spațiului". Cuget Liber. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  6. "Romanian Students From Computer Science College in Bucharest Win NASA Space Settlement Contest Grand Prize". The Romania Journal. April 17, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  7. "Guide to the NASA Student Space Settlement Design Contest Collection". Online Archive of California. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  8. 1 2 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.
  9. Cowing, Keith (February 18, 2014). "NASA Space Settlement Contest". Astrobiology. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  10. 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.
  11. "Contest Rules". National Space Society. March 9, 2025.
  12. O'Cearbhaill, Muiris (April 11, 2025). "Irish teenagers to address space experts in US after beating 26,000 other schools". TheJournal.ie . Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  13. "Awards - Scholarships". National Space Society. Retrieved March 9, 2025.