The International Space Settlement Design Competition or "ISSDC", is an annual competition founded by Ms. Anita Gale and Mr. Dick Edwards, and is supported by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The competition targets high school students and recreates the experience of working on an aerospace company's proposal team. The teams are asked to envision space colonies in accordance with an RFP (Request for Proposal).
To help them accomplish this challenging task, each team is provided with managers from industry to serve as Company CEO, then participants receive technical and management training to prepare them for the Competition. The Program Book describes “existing” space infrastructure. They must design an overall structure, define construction methods, determine quantities of electrical power and water, design computer and robotics systems, specify allocation of interior space, show examples of pleasant community design, and provide estimated costs and schedules for completion of the project.
Lakshmipat Singhania Academy started participating in the competition from the year 2012 when they went to The Asian Regionals as a Runner team. They lost the competition that year. Next year the team qualified for the Asian round as a semi-finalist and won it paving the way for the finals held in July 2013 at Johnson Space Centre USA. The team won the competition. The team again won the International contest in the years 2014, 2016, and 2019. The most important thing is that they have reached the finals every year since 2013. This year our team has qualified and will be participating in International Space Settlement Design Competition in July 2023. The team has emerged as Winners once again.
The International Space Settlement Design Competition is now split into four rounds, the qualifying round, the Indian round followed by the Asian round, and then the international finals.
Year after year, since 2012, students have participated in this program. The teams have won the international round of ISSDC four times, held in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2019 and the most recent one in July 2023 held in Florida, USA.
The students who have participated in the competition are as given below:
1. Aritra Kundu XI
2. Arya Agarwal XII
3. Aryan Bajoria X
4. Jaagriti Sethia XI
5. Mehak Baid XII
6. Prisha Khirwal XI
7. Priyanshu Saraf XII
8. Srikar Ayalasomayajula XI
9. Suneeti Patwari XI
10. Vaanya Agarwal XII
11. Vidishaa Mundhra XI
12. Yutika Doogar XI
It is a matter of pride for our Academy that it's the 5th year our School has won the trophy. Our students have participated in this event since 2010 and in all the years, but once, they reached International level. We feel proud that our students are using analytical and research skills to find solutions to the problem related to 'stem', said Mrs. Meena Kak, Director of Lakshmipat Singhania Academy.
The Competition concludes with the teams' presentations of briefings describing their designs to a panel of judges. The experience of participating in a Space Settlement Design Competition teaches young people optimism for the future, technical competence, management skills, working in an organization chart, knowledge of space environments and resources, appreciation for relationships between technical products and human use, teamwork, and more.
The competition starts in the month of April/May with a preliminary stage. After registering for the competition, the teams receive a Request For Proposal (RFP) and a list of subcontractors. A deadline is given when the teams prepare a proposal of 40 pages.10 qualifiers, 10 runners-up, and 5 invited teams are selected according to their performance in the prelim round.
Building a team is a very difficult job and requires the huge involvement of the ex-members. They not only guide the new team but also prepare them mentally so that the team is able to face all the hurdles. It takes a month to make the new team. The members of the SSDC family always encourage the new team, guide them and motivate them in every possible way.
Mr. Jack Gafford, retired Boeing Engineer, Ms. Anita Gale, C.E.O of National Space Society, Mr. Dan Hawk, Mr. Robin Hawk, and Mr Bill Camp were the judges of the event Only 3 teams were from India in the competition including Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata. There were teams from the USA, China, the UK, Australia, and Canada. Latin America Africa, Pakistan, Uruguay, and India are in the competition. Students from Classes 10 to 12 participated in this Competition.
