Blog

Shoreham-by-Sea Galactic Challenge

Shoreham-by-Sea Galactic Challenge. Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting a phenomenal Galactic Challenge at Shoreham Academy, joined by students from PACA, Seahaven Academy, and Cardinal Newman Catholic School. Our talented Year 8 students formed three companies and were tasked with designing AXelerate, a Low Earth Orbit technology development settlement specialising in satellite communications and […]

SSEF Mourns the Passing of CEO Anita Gale

SSEF are saddened to hear of the passing of Anita Gale, co-founder of ISSDC, over the weekend. Anita spent her career inspiring young people around the world to pursue careers in science and space, and helped countless young girls discover their potential in technical fields. Anita will be greatly missed and her legacy will continue […]

Shoreham Academy goes to Mars

Shoreham Academy hosts Galactic Challenge. In an ambitious and inspiring endeavour, Year 7 students from around Sussex embarked on the Galactic Challenge, setting their sights on designing a research settlement on the red planet, Mars. Our hosts, Shoreham Academy, Galactic Challenge brought together students from esteemed institutions Portslade Aldridge Community Academy, Seahaven Academy, and Cardinal […]

Size and Scale in Space

Rescue missions in space are very different to Earth. Knowing how size and scale in space is like can help you design for this successfully. by Neelesh Ravichandran, UKSDC Design & Publications Committee Chair Where is everything? Space is a vast expanse filled, mostly, with nothing at all. The diagram on the right of this […]

“Houston, We Have a Problem”

The real space rescue missions of history. by Nadiya Ivahnenko, Galactic Challenge Volunteer  Monday, April 13th 1970 7.07 pm PST 56 hours into a mission, an explosion begins to shake a rocket headed for the moon. 205, 000 miles away alarm lights begin to flash at mission control on earth. Oxygen tank 2 has exploded, […]

How Do Spaceships Move In Space?

Exploring the ins and outs of spacecraft flight control, focussing on the systems that control propulsion and orientation. Written by Abdur-Raheem Kalam (Heemy), Galactic Challenge Volunteer  Illustrated by Saffron Zainchkovskaya, Galactic Challenge Volunteer  Moving around becomes surprisingly difficult when we enter space. How do spacecraft go forwards, backwards, side-to-side? What happens when we need to […]

Quick Fixes to Upgrade Your Submission!

Here are two key tips for you to unlock the full potential of your designs. Written by Sung Soo Moon, Galactic Challenge Volunteer Illustrated by Saffron Zainchkovskaya, Galactic Challenge Volunteer  Are all your diagrams clearly labelled with dimensions and descriptions? The world doesn’t run on wishy washy guesswork. When designing missions for interplanetary space travel, […]

How We Judge the Digital Competition

What actually happens after you upload your entry? How are the awards determined? Take a look behind the scenes to see what happens during the judging process. by Aadil Kara, Galactic Challenge Chair The deadline to enter Mission IV of the Galactic Challenge is 30th June. After everyone has uploaded their entries, we will spend […]