Blog

Spaceman SSEF

Second UK Team Selected to Compete at Prestigious International…

The Space Science and Engineering Foundation is proud to announce that a second team of talented students from across the United Kingdom has been selected to represent the UK at the 2025 International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC), held at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, from 25th to 28th July 2025.

This marks the first time that two full UK teams will participate in the world-renowned competition, a testament to the growing strength and ambition of young space scientists and engineers across the country. The ISSDC brings together the brightest students from around the globe to collaborate on designing futuristic space settlements under realistic constraints, mimicking the challenges faced by engineers at NASA and other leading aerospace organisations.

The newly formed second team, made up of 12 exceptional students from various schools and regions, earned their place through a rigorous selection process following the UKSDC Finals held earlier this year. The team will self-fund their travel and accommodation to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete against top international teams.

“This is an extraordinary achievement for these students and for the UKSDC programme,” said Jenny Lyons, CEO of the SSEF. “To have two teams representing the UK at the ISSDC highlights the high calibre of talent we have in the UK and reflects our commitment to inspiring the next generation of space scientists, engineers and innovators.”

The UKSDC programme is supported by the Space Science & Engineering Foundation (SSEF) and is designed to engage secondary school students with the real-world challenges of the space industry through immersive, team-based engineering and design competitions.

Both UK teams will be accompanied by experienced chaperones and will participate in cultural visits and team-building activities in the days leading up to the ISSDC. The competition itself promises an unforgettable experience, with students working under pressure to deliver visionary space settlement proposals to a panel of industry experts.

For more information about the UK Space Design Competition and how to get involved, visit www.uksdc.org

Congratulations to the following students:

Anastazja MacIver
Annie Liu
Beatrice Nield
Frederic Fong
Hanyang Wei
Molly Dathan
Morgan Bleasdale
Olly Hambly
Sairam Batchu
Tessa Hellsten
Xavier Mckeown-Webster
Yadukrish Karthikeyan

 

SSEF

ISSDC Announcement!

 ISSDC Announcement!
3 April 2025

We are thrilled to announce the 12 students selected to represent the UK at the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC), taking place in Florida at NASA this July! 

These students have demonstrated outstanding skills in engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving, earning their place in this prestigious global competition:

Albert Poole
Alessandro Payne
Alexandra Mackie
Alisa Shutenko
Beatrix Wellings-Thomas
Freya Hooper
Joey Kennedy
Joy Sokoya
Nandipa Marufu
Prabhav Bhamidipati
Vinujan Sivakumar
Zak Mohammed
 
In addition, we are pleased to announce our reserves,

Male Reserves
 Yadu Karthikeyan
 Frederic Fong

Female Reserves
 Annie Liu
 Tessa Hellsten

Exciting News! A Second UK Team! 

We are delighted to share that we have been given the go-ahead for a second team to represent the UK at the ISSDC in 2025. This additional team will be given the incredible opportunity to compete on the international stage.

This second team will be required to self-fund their trip to the US, and we will be announcing the selected students next week. Stay tuned for more details!

Congratulations to all the students, and we look forward to seeing them take on this incredible challenge! 

#ISSDC #SpaceSettlement #STEM #FutureLeaders #NASA #SSEF #UKSDC #United

SSEF

Happy Holidays from the SSEF

Wishing all our incredible supporters and volunteers a very Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season! Thank you for your invaluable help and dedication throughout 2024, which has made this year such a success for the SSEF. We truly appreciate your hard work and passion, and we look forward to collaborating with you in 2025 for another fantastic year.

Enjoy the festive season, and here’s to an exciting year ahead!
United Airlines partnership with SSEF Education

United Airlines and Space Science and Engineering Foundation announce…

United Airlines and Space Science and Engineering Foundation announce an exciting partnership

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership between the Space Science and Engineering Foundation and United Airlines. Starting in 2025, United Airlines will be the official sponsor of the UK team’s flights to the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC) in Florida. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for our foundation, as it will help to ensure that more students can participate in this prestigious event.

Our partnership with United Airlines is not just about flights; it’s about a shared vision. Both SSEF and United Airlines are committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. By providing this invaluable support, United Airlines is helping to remove barriers for our students, allowing them to focus on what they do best—pushing the boundaries of space science and engineering.

We are particularly excited about having United Airlines involved in our upcoming events. Their presence will undoubtedly enhance the experience for our students, offering them unique insights into the aerospace industry and the chance to engage with industry professionals.

We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with United Airlines and are confident that this partnership will bring incredible benefits to our students and the broader space science community. Together, we are paving the way for the future of space exploration.

 

Education

Galactic Challenge: A Day of Innovation and Inspiration! 🚀

On June 25th 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 artificial intelligence.

The competition was fierce and the enthusiasm palpable as we witnessed some truly amazing drawings and innovative designs. It was clear that every company poured their creativity and hard work into their projects, resulting in inspirational concepts that wowed us all.

A special thank you to our incredible judges, Senumi Tebuwana, Jenny Lyons, and Bill Richards, for undertaking the difficult task of evaluating the final presentations. Senumi, currently studying Engineering at the University of Sussex and on a placement year with Ricardo plc, spent the entire day with us and was particularly impressed with the students’ knowledge and work ethic.

Congratulations to Astrodyne Delta, the winning company! The judges felt that Astrodyne Delta best addressed the RfP points, making them the standout team in a close and competitive field.

A huge round of applause to all the participants for making this event a resounding success. Your hard work and passion are truly commendable.

Thank you to our amazing Year 12 and 13 volunteers who supported and advised the younger students throughout the day. Your assistance was invaluable and the event ran smoothly thanks to your efforts.

Finally, a big thank you to Shoreham Academy for hosting the event. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

#GalacticChallenge #Innovation #STEM #SatelliteCommunications #ArtificialIntelligence #ShorehamAcademy #StudentSuccess #FutureLeaders

 

SSEF

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 to have a lasting impact on young people for years to come.

To read about her life, please click here

SSEF

ISSDC Winners!

Congratulations!

Huge congratulations to the EU team who were part of Dougeldyne, the winning company at this year’s ISSDC. The ISSDC is a three day event held at the Kennedy Space Center, and the students work in companies consisting of 50-60 students; this year some of the team were working online, which adds to the difficulty of communicating effectively – so to be in the winning team is reflective of an incredibly difficult task carried out amazingly well.

The EU team consisted of the following members (in alphabetical order!):

Adrian Turtulea
Alessandro Salina
Alexandru Teodorescu Druc
Anastasia Ioana Paraschiv
Enrique Jiménez Molina
Guilherme Abrantes Leal
Lorena Terrón Egido
Maria João Lopes
Pablo Asenjo Gonzalez
Pablo Gutierrez Izquierdo
Rita Ferrão Baptista Fernandes
Sara Sofia dos Reis Filipe
Well done to all of you, and thank you to the accompanying teachers Mónica Juárez Jiménez, Óscar Partida and Ricardo Mota, and also the wonderful parents who made this trip of a lifetime possible.

Charity number 1170548
© 2025 Space Science Engineering Foundation, All Rights Reserved.