The competition challenges teams of students to build and ‘launch’ a very small satellite.
Organizers:
- International section: ESA, World CanSat & Rocketry Competition
- Greek section: ESERO Greece, SPIN – Space Innovation
Information:
- Target group: High school students, university students
- Type/Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: Athens
NASA competition aimed at engaging the public with space-related topics through the implementation of space projects. It has been organized in Greece at least three times (2017, 2022, 2023).
Organizers:
- Greek section: Greek NewSpace Society
- International section: National Space Society)
Information:
- Target group: General public
- Type/Character: Interdisciplinary
- Location: Thessaloniki & Piraeus
A competition for teams of 2 to 5 students from ESA member countries to develop crewed suborbital spacecraft.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University Students
- Character: Interdisciplinary
- Location: Online
The program is offered annually to university students who meet the eligibility requirements and provides a comprehensive introductory experience to the professional world of space science and technology research and development, at various ESA facilities.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University Students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: Online and, if approved: ZARM Drop Tower, ESA Large Diameter Centrifuge, ESA Parabolic Flights, ESA ICE Cube Facility on ISS, ESA Space Rider, ESA Orbital Robotics Lab
CubeSats – Fly Your Satellite!
The ESA Academy provides support to student teams in the preparation and execution of environmental testing for hardware they have designed and built themselves, through exclusive access to the CubeSat Support Facility (CSF). The Test Opportunities pilot program is an educational opportunity for university teams from eligible countries who wish to receive support and training in carrying out their environmental testing campaigns.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: ESA CubeSat Support Facility (ESF) – Transinne, Belgium
Concurrent Engineering Challenge
The ESA Education Office is seeking 30 talented and enthusiastic university students in the fields of physics or engineering to participate in the Concurrent Engineering Challenge, which will take place at the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility in Belgium.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: ESA Educational Concurrent Design Facility (ECD) – Transinne, Belgium
European Space for Sustainability Award
Founded in 2012, the Space for Sustainability Award is a yearly competition that seeks to raise awareness and ideas about how space can contribute to the sustainable development of Europe and the world.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Young people aged 18-30
- Character: STEM, Policy, Economics
- Location: Online
ESA Kids Monthly Art Competition
Every month, a new theme is announced, and children submit their artistic creations in digital format. The best ones are selected and awarded.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Primary school students
- Character: Art
- Location: Online
European Rover Challenge, European Space Foundation
Technical university students from all over the world form teams and design unique rovers. After several weeks of hard work, their designs are validated by professionals from the space industry from recognized companies and organizations. The teams that qualify for the finals submit their prototypes to additional tests on a geologically realistic Martian terrain, through a series of demanding tasks based on real NASA and ESA missions.
Organizers:
- European Space Foundation, AGH University of Krakow
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: AGH University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland
European Space Design Competition
Taking place in a hypothetical future 100 years from now, the European Space Design Competition (EUSDC) is an exciting design challenge to create a space colony, structured as a simulation of life in the industry. Up to 200 individuals transform into representatives of companies competing in teams of up to 50 members for a lucrative contract from the Foundation Society.
Organizers:
- Space Science & Engineering Foundation, National Space Society
Information:
- Target audience: Students aged 15-18
- Character: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics)
- Location: TBA
European Rocketry Challenge, Portuguese Space Agency
The European Rocketry Challenge – EuRoC is the first rocketry competition for European student teams. The Portuguese Space Agency launched the competition in 2020, and since then, it has attracted teams from various European countries to the Alentejo region. Based on steady growth, the competition is supported by the Portuguese Army and the Municipality of Constância.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)
- Location: Constância, Portugal
Dive into one of the most critical challenges affecting millions of people around the world. We bring together problem solvers from all over Europe to develop sustainable solutions for supporting international development and humanitarian activities using freely accessible data from European space systems.
Organizers:
- International branch: EUSPA
- Greek branch: –
Information:
- Target audience: Any EU resident aged 18 and over
- Character: Interdisciplinary
- International branch location: Brussels, Belgium
- Greek branch: –
Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition
The competition, with both European and international branches, offers students the opportunity to engage with and deepen their knowledge of international law and space law through a mock trial. Participants compete against teams from across Europe, and the winner of each year competes against winners from other regions in the Global Round of the competition. Travel, accommodation, and registration expenses for the European winners at the IAC are covered by the ECSL.
Information:
- Target audience: Law students
- Character: Space law
- Location: University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
The Spaceport America Cup is the world’s largest international student rocketry competition and the flagship event of the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition. Student teams compete with rockets they have designed and built themselves, based on a set of criteria defined each year, with cash prizes reaching up to $30K.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target Audience: University students
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)
- Location: Research Park Circle, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
An online quiz competition for elementary school students, focused on space sciences, space technology, and the history of space exploration.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Elementary school students
- Character: STEM & History
- Location: Online
International Space Solar Power Student Project Competition
An international competition showcasing proposals for new research programs in the field of Space-Based Solar Power.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM, Space Policy, Space Finance
- Location: Dallas–Frisco, Texas, USA (for semifinals & finals)
This program gives small teams of young students the opportunity to take part in a competition that focuses on a different space-related theme each year (e.g., the 2024 theme is Space Mining). Participants submit their proposals online and receive support from specialized mentors. The competition includes two tracks: one for students aged 15–18 and one for participants aged 18–25.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Students & university students
- Character: Interdisciplinary with emphasis on STEM
- Location: Online
Working as a team, you will learn the engineering design process, apply new skills, and run simulations to design a mission to another planet in our solar system. Your daily training includes live sessions with space-mission experts (astronauts, engineers, and scientists). Lessons, tutorials, and integrated AI systems will guide you through each design and simulation activity.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Students aged 12 and above
- Character: STEM
- Location: Online
Space Elevator Academic Challenge
Each year, teams of students submit proposals responding to specific technical challenges related to the concept of the space elevator, as defined within the framework of the competition.
Information:
Πληροφορίες:
- International Space Elevator Consortium
- Character: STEM
- Location: Online
This competition, open to both individual participants and teams, focuses on developing innovations that can help humans thrive on Mars. It emphasizes alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to water and sanitation, food production, and energy. These dimensions are essential for life on Mars and strongly connected to sustainability on Earth. The challenge encourages participants to combine creativity with practical problem-solving as they address real issues that future Martian settlers may face.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Students aged 5–18
- Character: Interdisciplinary with emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics)
- Location: Online
NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest
Held annually since 1994, this competition is designed for school-age students. Participants are given no additional instructions other than that their project must focus on the concept of a free-floating space settlement.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Middle & high school students, university students
- Character: Social Sciences & Policy
- Location: Online
“Live in a Healthy Space” Design Competition
Future space residents—whether living in orbital settlements or participating in long-duration missions—will need to produce their own infrastructure and food to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This competition challenges student teams to design a specific component of a space settlement: an Agricultural Module (or zone). Exploring and establishing the infrastructure required for food production, proper nutrition, and healthy diets—essential for protecting astronauts from the risks of space life—leads to innovations that benefit people not only on Earth but also on Mars and the Moon.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: Students aged 12–18
- Character: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)
- Location: Online
“Roadmap to Space” Art Contest
Each year a theme is announced, participants submit their artworks in digital form, and the best entries receive awards.
Information:
- Target audience: Students aged 10–25
- Character: SciArt
- Location: Online
NASA Space Place Art Challenge
Each year, a theme is announced and participants submit their artwork digitally. Selected pieces are showcased on NASA’s website (and in any additional channels NASA chooses to feature them).
Organizers:
- NASA
Information:
- Target audience: Elementary school students
- Character: SciArt
- Location: Online
NASA Commercial Crew Artwork Contest
Each year, NASA announces several categories related to commercial human spaceflight. Participants submit their artwork digitally, and the selected pieces are featured on NASA’s website and published in the annual NASA calendar.
Organizers:
- NASA
Information:
- Target audience: Elementary school students
- Character: SciArt
- Location: Online
NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Each year, the competition presents an engineering design problem aimed at engaging students from around the world in the next phase of human space exploration.
Organizers:
- NASA
Information:
- Target audience: High school students & university students
- Character: STEM
- Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
A total of 32 university students are selected, divided into two teams, and compete for one week in a space mission design challenge held on the Caltech campus.
Organizers:
Information:
- Target audience: University students
- Character: STEM
- Location: Pasadena, California, USA
