The year is 2061.
HALLEY’S COMET has returned to the Solar System, and on it five brave scientists have landed.
But DISASTER has struck! Their ship has malfunctioned and cannot launch. With only four months of supplies, the crew are now stranded on a comet drifting further into space.
It is a race to the rescue! You are in charge of the world’s top SPACE RESCUE ORGANISATION, and you have heard the call for help...
Can you design a rescue mission to save the crew?
How to Enter
1. Choose your team
Enter solo, or in a group of 2 to 4
Open to anyone in Key Stages 2 and 3.2. Create your entry
Show off your ideas in just four pages of A4 (or less).
Create them however you like - with a computer, or with pen and paper (and then scan it in) - as long as we will be able to see it!3. Enter before the deadline
To be in with a chance of winning, enter by 5pm on 30th June 2021.
See the entry form at the bottom of this page.
Your Challenge
Design a rescue mission to save the crew on Halley’s comet.
Show off your ideas for these three sections:
1. Tell us about your rescue organisation!
Design a space station in Earth orbit to be the headquarters for a rescue team.
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- Choose the team's name and logo
- Show the main parts of the space station
Tip: Try to include at least two ideas that will help the team react to emergencies. (Here are some suggestions, but feel free to use your own: a control room, vehicle launch areas, or repair bays.)
2. You need specialist vehicles to perform a rescue!
Design a spacecraft to travel to Halley's Comet and rescue the crew.
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- Show the main parts of the spacecraft
- Include the equipment needed for rescues
Tip: Try to include at least three ideas needed for a rescue mission. (Here are some suggestions, but feel free to use your own: spacesuits, medical bays, or tools for the rescue.)
3. How will you rescue the scientists?
Combine your ideas into a complete rescue mission.
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- Show a storyboard for the main stages of the rescue
Tip: Start when the rescue team first finds out about the disaster, and finish when the crew are brought back.
Box of Extra Details
Here are some extra details about the scenario. If they are helpful, feel free to use them in your entry.
Your Mission
Halley’s Comet gets closest to Earth in June 2061.
Imagine that your ship is able to travel the 75 million kilometre journey in 2 months.
(You don’t need to worry about complicated orbit calculations!)
The Stranded Base
Here's a diagram of the stranded base. It has a similar design to a module from the International Space Station (ISS).
Key judging areas
The judging panel will look for these things in your entry:
Science
Is your entry based on real scientific principles?
Creativity
Does your entry have new, clever, or interesting ideas?
Presentation
Is your entry presented clearly?
Guides to Success
Make your entry even better. More to come until 30th June.
Ready to Enter?
Submit your entry by 5pm on 30th June 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Your entries should be self-contained in one file within the 4-page limit and anything outside of this (including videos or external links) will not be considered by the judges.
You can change the number of your people in your team, and there is no need to fill out the registration form again. Just let us know the new number of people when submitting your entry.
Do you have a question that's not here? Get in touch at digitalcompetition@gchallenge.org. We recieve a lot of emails, so may take a few days to get back to you - thank you for your patience.