Australian Virtual Astronaut Challenge
Introduction
Welcome to AVA!
In 2026, the Australian Virtual Astronaut Challenge participants will address key technologies identified by NASA necessary for humans to live on the moon.
2026 AVA Challenge
Are you up to the challenge?
There are key challenges for long-term space human space exploration as identified by NASA as shortfalls that must be addressed.
Your challenge is to address one of three challenges that are aligned with these shortfalls:
Choose your Challenge
AVA Challenge
Challenge 1 | What we eat
NASA Shortfall: 1525 – Food and nutrition for Mars and Sustained Lunar
Energy, nutrition, sustainability.
How can we sustain life off-world? In this mission, you will explore the complex challenges in nutrition that face astronauts for long-term habitation in space.
AVA Challenge
Challenge 2 | Where we live
NASA Shortfall: 1601 – Enable Observation of Whole Top-to-Bottom Dynamic Ecosystems
Human habitation off-world.
The ability to make tools and instruments and apply observational data can help us build and understand our human-made lunar ecosystem.
AVA Challenge
Challenge 3 | Going Outside
NASA Shortfall: 1304 – Robust, High-Progress-Rate, and Long-Distance Autonomous Surface Mobility
Explore and discover.
How might rover and vehicle design be improved? Apply engineering skills to revolutionise mobility across lunar regolith
Outcome
What will you produce?
Students are to produce either a 90-second video or a poster outlining their design solution.
Each challenge follows the iSTEM engineering design process and is designed to be run at your own pace. In this time, students are to develop a design solution from one of the challenges
Resources
Below are resources that support any challenge that you choose.
There are more challenge-specific resources on the challenge pages.
Video resources – National & Global context
The Big Picture
Special guest speaker Keegan Buzza (Director of Communications) Australian Space Agency discusses the big picture for the Australian space industry. Ted Tagami (User Advisory Committee – Past Education Chair at ISS US National Lab) provides background on the international space industry and the concept of producing food in space. (20:58 Minutes)
Welcome to AVA – Ted Tagami
Ted Tagami (User Advisory Committee – Past Education Chair at ISS US National Lab & CoFounder of Magnitude) sets the broad picture for the AVA challenge. (2:11 minutes)
National snapshot – Australian Space Agency
Kerrie Dougherty, Senior Heritage and Outreach Officer for the Australian Space Agency gives an overview of the space industry in Australia and opportunities for students across a broad range of fields over the coming years. (6:13 minutes)
The Australian Space Industry snapshot
Veronica Bainton, Deputy Chair of The Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) &- Director Satellite – Governance & Industry Engagement for Optus Satellite gives an overview of the wide array of organisations involved in the Australian Space Industry (2:36 minutes)
MILO Mission Academy with David Thomas
David Thomas, Executive Director at the Milo Space Science Institute at Arizona State University describes the work done around the world to enable space science to be more economical (8:16 minutes)
Perspectives in Careers in the Space Industry
Learn from Shae Ingram, Andrew Murphy & Annie Handmer from Optus Satellite and Space Systems plus Astrophysicist Kirsten Banks talk about careers in space & their own journeys. (32:02 minutes)
Teaching and Learning Resources
Below are some downloadable resources, custom videos, and websites links that will support teachers to deliver the Mission 1 content.
Suggested Learning Sequence
This is designed to be run at your class’s pace.
Our expert curriculum designers have developed a suggested Mission 1 learning sequence for teachers. The following is for the full set of AVA resources, however, teachers are encouraged to only use activities that are most suitable for their own class and school setting.
Sub Mission 1: Set The Scene Watch About Artemis and future habitation challenges video to provide context to the challenge around NASA’s Artemis Program.
Sub Mission 2: iSTEM Process Introduce the iSTEM Engineering Design process. Download the poster and place it around the classroom. Use the iSTEM Process guide to describe different activities.
Sub Mission 3: Select Teams Get students to select teams and roles. Watch AVA2021 video about the six characteristics of an effective team and get students to complete a skills audit and select their team with the help of our handy AVA worksheet.
Extension: Get students to complete the Multiple Intelligences (MI) survey. Students to determine their core characteristics as a learner using the guide. Students to select teams based on the results. Teams with the most diverse intelligences are the most likely to be successful. (Most suitable for grades 9 & 10).
Sub Mission 4: Select Your Scenario Now introduce the five possible AVA 2022 scenarios, Earth Observation, Robotics, Home on the Moon, Growing Food in Space, AI in Space & Telecommunications in Space. Get teams to use the Choose a Scenario worksheet to evaluate the scenarios by outlining the pros and cons for each. Once evaluated students are to select and justify their mission scenario selection.
Sub Mission 5: Research Scenarios Once the students have chosen their scenario, they can then complete some further research. The AVA team have curated a number of resources shown below to assist.
Sub Mission 6: Bitmoji Exercise High School students can create their own space-themed Bitmoji. Watch the video instructions from Dr Sleap and Lori and download the Bitmoji worksheet for more instructions.
Sub Mission 7: Team Identity Students to build team identity by designing their own mission patch. Students to view ISS Science video on ‘making your own mission patch’ and download the AVA Design a Mission Patch worksheet.
Downloadable Resources
iSTEM Engineering Design Process
The iSTEM process developed by the NSW Department of Education is an industry-recognised engineering design process and scaffolds the understanding and application of design thinking.
iSTEM Process Guide
In this document, each stage/cog of the iSTEM process is outlined with key questions to ask students and possible actions your students would need to undertake when completing each stage of the process.
Selecting Your Team
In this document we discuss what makes a good team and students undertake a skills audit. Teachers may use the Multiple Intelligences survey to help inform the skills audit. Students then select their team and assign rolls based on skills.
Multiple Intelligences Survey
This is a survey instrument that you can get students to complete which will help determine your students intelligence profile. The purpose is to identify different strengths to help inform team selections.
Multiple Intelligences Guide
The Multiple Intelligence guide is to assist students to determine their core characteristics as a learner. It provides strategies to support learning and suggests technologies that might stimulate their different intelligences.
Which Scenario
In this exercise, students analyse the mission scenarios to determine which mission would be the best for the team to solve. They look at the pro’s and con’s for each scenario using the worksheet provided. Finally the team will select the mission which best suits the student’s interest and skills.
Team Work – Bitmoji Exercise
Create a space themed Avatar using the Bitmoji app. Collate each of your Avatars into a team in this fun exercise. Note the are age restrictions of 13 for this app, so best used in High School setting only.
Team Work – AVA Mission Patch Exercise
Learn about the significance of mission patches from NASA astronaut Astronaut Randy Bresnik. Get the team together and create your own mission patch for the Australian Astronaut Challenge.
Website Resources
Artemis Accords
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html
Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nac_budget_charts_final_updated_pfp.pdf
NASA – Explore Moon to Mars
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars
NASA – Track Artemis in Realtime
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/track-nasa-s-artemis-i-mission-in-real-time
Lunar science teaching ideas
https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/articles/lunar-science-teaching-ideas/
NASA Live
https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
iSTEM Course Resources – NSW Department of Education
https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/department-approved-courses/istem
Videos – Further Resources
General background information for teachers and students to support challenge activities
Artemis Prepares for Mars
In this informative video produced for AVA2021, space training program specialist for the US Navy and previous Vice President for Magnitude.io Lori Waters talks about the Artemis Mission. (9:26 Minutes)
BitMoji Instructions
In this video produced for AVA2021, Dr Sleap and Lori Waters explains how to introduce BitMoji into your lessons for a bit of fun and to build teamwork. Lori discusses how BitMoji found its way onto the International Space Station. (2:45 Minutes)
Indigenous Perspective – Australian Space Agency Logo
This animated video tells the story of the Australian Space Agency’s brand identity. At first glance, the logo appears as a satellite view of Australia. But hidden within the dots are several significant Indigenous constellations that can be seen if we look up across Australian skies. The brand captures Australia’s powerful cultural heritage and the spirit of the Agency—one that will look to space to provide real improvements for life on Earth. (01:03 Minutes)
Teamwork
In this video produced for AVA2021, Ben Newsome (Fizzics Education) and Wendy Bode (Australian and Queensland Virtual STEM Academy) discuss the six characteristics of an effective team. Wendy then describes the task on the downloaded sheet where students complete a skills audit and select team roles. (02:47 Minutes)
Create a Mission Patch
In this video, Ted Tagami (Magnitude) goes through mission patches used on missions to space and suggests creating your own. (3:06 minutes)
Choose your Challenge
AVA Challenge
Challenge 1 | What we eat
NASA Shortfall: 1525 – Food and nutrition for Mars and Sustained Lunar
Energy, nutrition, sustainability.
How can we sustain life off-world? In this mission, you will explore the complex challenges in nutrition that face astronauts for long-term habitation in space.
AVA Challenge
Challenge 2 | Where we live
NASA Shortfall: 1601 – Enable Observation of Whole Top-to-Bottom Dynamic Ecosystems
Human habitation off-world.
The ability to make tools and instruments and apply observational data can help us build and understand our human-made lunar ecosystem.
AVA Challenge
Challenge 3 | Going Outside
NASA Shortfall: 1304 – Robust, High-Progress-Rate, and Long-Distance Autonomous Surface Mobility
Explore and discover.
How might rover and vehicle design be improved? Apply engineering skills to revolutionise mobility across lunar regolith