Finalists announced for Launchpad Challenge academic competition

September 24, 2021

Phoenix Space is excited to announce the five finalist teams for the inaugural LaunchPad Challenge academic competition.

Over 100 teams from 29 countries registered for the competition, which challenged teams to research and develop an idea-driven solution to a problem related to human habitation of Mars.

The following teams have advanced to the finals, and will make their final presentations to our esteemed panel of judges on the 4th and 5th of October, during the first part of World Space Week.

Ecstatic Paradox, Nepal, Topic: Fungi: The Supreme Resource. On The Development of a Fungi-based Ecosystem and Sustainable Martian Society
Entangled Pair, India, Topic: Power Production on Mars: Space-based Solar Power Satellite
LGS Defence Team C, Pakistan, Topic: Genesis of life on Mars: Thermally Assisted Retrieval of Water from the Martian Subsurface
LGS Defence Team D, Pakistan, Topic: Using Tardigrade Protein to Survive Martian Climate
TransMars, United Kingdom, Topic: A Comprehensive Solution to the Mars Colony Vehicle Problem

We will announce the winner live on Saturday, 9 October, at 5 pm London time, during a Zoom webinar that is open to anyone who wishes to attend. This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about some great space-science-related ideas, and see which team of young STEM enthusiasts will take home the Grand Prize! We are honored to have NASA Astronaut Scott Parazynski, a veteran of five Space Shuttle missions, announcing the winner.

The winning team will receive a US$3,000 cash prize as well as a live 30-minute question and answer session with astronaut, entrepreneur, and author Scott Parazynski. The other four finalist teams will each receive a US$1,000 cash prize.

Learn more about the LaunchPad Challenge here.

Click the button below to register for the awards session, which will be held at 5 pm UK time on 9 October. Registration and attendance are free and open to all!

Register to attend the awards session

About Phoenix Space

Phoenix Space is a non-profit organization focused on providing STEM education, based around the inspirational theme of space science, to refugee and disadvantaged students in the Middle East to improve their life opportunities and empower them and their communities.

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