Alex Grab is the Director of Offsite Programming at the Space Foundation, and shares about the Space Sustainability Competition for 7th-8th grade students based in the United States.

Why does space junk matter? Space debris includes defunct satellites, rocket parts, and fragments that orbit Earth at high speeds. These objects pose serious risks to active satellites, space missions, and even essential services on Earth like GPS, communications, and weather forecasting. Your students can be part of the solution, helping to protect the future of space exploration and everyday life.
Middle school students in grades 7-8 are encouraged to register. Students will create an Engineering Solution (Design a model using Tinkercad, SketchUp, or other design software to capture or manage space debris), a Business Plan (Develop a marketing strategy to make the solution market-ready), and a Video Pitch (Share your solution in a 3-minute video pitch evaluated by industry experts).

Key Dates:
• Competition Launch: December 1, 2024
• Team Registration Deadline: January 31, 2025
• Submission Deadline: March 21, 2025
• Winners Announced: May 2, 2025 (National Space Day)
You can access the press release detailing the competition here via the Space Workforce for Tomorrow site: swft.space/space-workforce-for-tomorrow-announces-national-space-day-stem-competition-for-middle-school-students/

Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT) is a strategic initiative by Space Foundation and The Aerospace Corporation, supported by over 30 leading space organizations. From the classroom to the boardroom, SWFT aims to eliminate the national STEM talent gap, illuminate career pathways for all, and build a workforce ready to meet the demands of the growing space industry.

Connect with Alex & Space Workforce for Tomorrow:

• Website swft.space
• Website spacefoundation.org
• The National Space Day Space Sustainability Competition swft.space/nsd

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

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