🔍
author Image

U.S. Department of Education announces Space mission challenge for students

The U.S. Department of Education has launched CTE Mission: CubeSat, a national challenge to inspire students to build technical skills for careers in space and beyond. High school students from across the country are invited to style and build CubeSat (cube satellite) prototypes, or satellites that aid in space research, bringing space missions out of the clouds and into the classroom.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said that this mission is an exciting way to rethink education and get students engaged in hands-on learning in the growing aerospace and technology fields. He added that he looks forward to seeing the innovative prototypes students develop and hopes that this challenge inspires the next generation of American space explorers.

This multi-phase challenge offers high school students across the United States the chance to build CubeSat prototypes while learning creative, collaborative, and technical skills for 21st century careers. Investors predict the space sector to be the next trillion-dollar industry.

Schools curious about entering CTE Mission: CubeSat should form a team and submit a mission proposal by 5:59 p.m. ET, on Oct. 16, 2020. Curated educational resources are available to students and teachers online within the CTE Mission: CubeSat resource hub.

Phase 2 will run from January to May 2021 and a maximum of five finalists will be shortlisted to be a part of phase 2. Finalists will have access to expert mentorship and extra virtual resources as they build CubeSat prototypes and plan flight events to launch their prototypes. Each finalist will receive an equal share of the $25,000 cash prize pool, as well as satellite development, hardware and software kits.