About

Register for the 2024 challenge here

This is a FREE school challenge.

Register now!

Join the Australian Virtual Astronaut Challenge!

Choose from several 9-step STEM design sprints based on challenges facing Artemis & the Australian space industry Scenarios

  • Earth Observation: Milo Institute – Arizona State University
  • Robotics: AROSE Lunar Rover
  • Home on the Moon: Aldrin Family Foundation
  • Growing Food in Space: Magnitude.io
  • AI in Space

Missions at your own pace

Use the content on this site to deliver the program at your pace. A number of special events will also be made exclusively available to participants (dates tbc). There will also be a celebration event known as the Young Space Explorers held in Sydney Australia.

FAQs

Mission 1: Introduction
Mission 2: Define the challenge
Mission 3: Identify the challenge
Mission 4: Brainstorm the solution
Mission 5: Design the solution
Mission 6: Prototype creation
Mission 7: Evaluate the design
Mission 8: Iterate your design
Mission 9: Communicate the Pitch

AROSE Lunar Rover Challenge
Closing date for the two submissions:
Semester 1- 28 June 2024
Semester 2 – 23 September 2024

Download the mission brief

All other scenarios
Submission date: September 23 at 11:59pm AEDT
Pitch Date – November date TBC

Young Space Explorers Event 

A number of primary & high school teams will be selected to pitch their ideas to renowned space industry representatives and venture capitalists. This will occur in November!

Finalists for the 2023 AVA Challenge

High Schools

  • Tara Anglican School for Girls
  • Birrong Girls High School
  • Catherine McAuley, Westmead

Primary Schools (for the first time in the 3 years of competition!)

  • Epping Public School
  • Methodist Ladies’ College

Planned Webinars

Throughout the year are special webinars with space industry experts.
Registration is free and proudly supported by AWS in Communities.

Dates for webinars (12pm Sydney time):

  • Feb 26 – Launch
  • Apr 4 – Leadership in Space
  • Apr 11 – Robotics
  • May 9 – Earth Observation
  • May 16 – Growing Food in Space
  • May 23 – Home on the Moon
  • May 30 – AI in Space
  • June 6 – Telecommunications in Space
  • June 13 – Space Tech
  • Sept 4 – FAQs for submissions

Register now

Proudly supported by AWS InCommunities

 

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Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to making a positive difference around the world. Whether it’s using technology to solve the world’s most pressing issues, or through our employees donating their time to support causes they care about, AWS is dedicated to building a world where every person has the opportunity to live a life of dignity on a healthy planet.

Executive Committee

Dr Scott Sleap
SISP Project Leader
Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence for Secondary Science Teaching
Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellow

Ben Newsome
Churchill Fellow
AMP Tomorrow Maker
Founder of Fizzics Education

Ted Tagami

Ted Tagami
Past User Advisory Committee – Education Chair at ISS US National Lab
CoFounder of Magnitude

Contact Us

For enquiries regarding partnering with the AVA Challenge, please direct enquires to Ben Newsome

Email: support@fizzicseducation.com.au

Contributors

Jim Christensen

Jim Christensen
Executive Director of ShareSpace Education, the education arm of the Aldrin Family Foundation

Lori Waters

Lori Waters
Space Instructor | Analog Astronaut | Astrobotany Researcher

Allan Ryan

Allan Ryan
Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School
Founder of Hargraves Institute

Wendy Bode

Wendy Bode
Deputy Principal – Global Tropics Future Project
Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellow
QLD Virtual STEM Academy

Ian Preston headshot

Ian Preston

Deputy Principal NSW Virtual STEM Academy
NSW Department of Education
Global Teacher Ambassador
Kylie & Glenn

Kylie Burrett & Glenn Lawrence
GOLD Good Design Award Winner
Founders of Design Nuts

Dr Ken Hudson

Dr Ken Hudson
Lecturer at UTS
Speaker & Founder of Ideas Blitz

Dr Adrian John Brown

Dr Adrian Brown
Planetary Science Researcher
NASA

Mani Thiru

Head of AWS Aerospace & Satellite Solutions for Asia Pacific and Japan

Alice Fairey
Senior Programs and Operations Officer
Australian Space Discovery Centre

Jasminder Hayer
AWS Solutions Architect for Aerospace & Satellite Solutions
Asia Pacific Japan

David Thomas
Executive Director
Milo Space Science Institute 

Edward Robinson
Founder
Robinson Aerospace.

Dr Sara Webb
Astrophysicist
Swinburne University of Technology

Harrison Verrios
Engineer
Nominal Systems

Sofia McLeod
PhD Candidate
Australian Institute for Machine Learning

Prof. Russell Boyce
Chair for Intelligent Space Systems
Director of UNSW Canberra Space 

Keira Crystal
Lead
Macquarie Orbital

Mandi Dimitriadis
Head of Education
Makers Empire

Dr Chris Kemp
Engineer
Fleet Space Technologies

Dwayne Fernandes
Ambassador
AstroAccess

Donna Lawler
Principal
Azimuth Advisory

Carey Furze
Founder
eBookform

Contact Us

For enquiries regarding about the AVA Challenge, please email us below;

Email: support@fizzicseducation.com.au