2025 Space 4 All Challenge

We are back. As a dedicated team of researchers and space enthusiasts (more about us on our Space 4 All Community research profile), we are passionate about making human spaceflight and space exploration accessible to all, with a special focus on individuals with physical and sensory disabilities.

Right now, some of our scientists are working on experiment proposals for John McFall, the first disabled astronaut candidate, who may soon embark on his own space mission. Inspired by this groundbreaking step, we invite you to join us by designing one of the following space and accessibility-themed projects.

Select a space and accessibility-themed project for entry

Design one of the following space and accessibility-themed projects:

1. Scientific team mission patch design

A mission patch is a badge that shows what a space mission is all about. Each patch is designed to tell a story about the mission’s goals, the crew, and what makes the trip unique.

Your challenge: Design a mission patch that represents our scientific team's spirit and the groundbreaking work we're doing to include disabled astronauts in space exploration.

2. Spacesuit design

A spacesuit is an outfit that keeps astronauts safe. There are different requirements for different stages of the journey. Inside the rocket, a spacesuit is worn during launch and re-entry. Outside, in space, the suits protect against things like cold and radiation.

Your challenge: Design a spacesuit that could be worn by an astronaut with a disability. You could think about materials, ergonomics, mobility, and how to enhance autonomy and comfort.

3. Space habitat or space transport design

A space habitat is where astronauts live safely and comfortably in space. Space transportation is rockets and spaceships for moving people and things to and from space.

Your challenge: Design a space habitat or a space vehicle that would support the needs of an astronaut with disabilities. You could think about comfort, safety, or sustainability.

How will your space and accessibility-themed entry be judged?

A diverse and inclusive panel will judge the submissions. The judging criteria are:

1. Accessibility and Inclusivity (40%) — does your design support astronauts with disabilities?

2. Clarity (30%) — does your design communicate your ideas clearly and effectively?

3. Creativity (30%) — Does your design show imagination and new thinking?

Space 4 All submission criteria and guidelines

1. The competition launches Monday 7 July 2025

2. We have three age categories for participation:

- Primary (5–11 years)

- Secondary (12–17 years) 

- Open age (18+)

3. You can enter one submission per person or per team captain.

4. We welcome submissions in various formats, including:

- Essay (maximum 500 words)

- Poem (maximum 500 words)

- Video (maximum 2 minutes)

- Audio (maximum 2 minutes)

- Photograph of a physical object you created (up to 2 pictures showing different angles)

- Poster (suitable for clear printing on A3)

6. To submit your entry, send an email with your submission as a file attachment to Space4All@kcl.ac.uk by the deadline of Wednesday 3 December 2025 at 12:00 (UK time).

7. Ensure that your submitted file is anonymous (no individual names in the file title). In the body of your email, include:

- Full names of all participants

- Email attachments are limited to 25MB in size.

- Age category for your submission (Primary, Secondary, Open Age)

Sending large files via email

If your attachment is larger than 25MB, use any of the following options for sending large files via email.

1. Save your file to a cloud service and share a link — there are many cloud storage services to which you can upload and share large files. Some popular cloud storage service include OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud and Google Drive. Once your file is stored in the cloud you can include a link to the document in your email message.

2. Compress your file — when you compress or zip your file it decreases its size and it might decrease it enough to fit within email size limits for attachments.

3. Use a free file transfer service — free file transfer services, such as WeTransfer, allow you to transfer files up to 2GB in size.

Additional information about your Space4All entry

1. If your group submission includes participants from different age categories, enter it under the higher age group.

2. Teams can include up to 30 members. (If your team is larger than this, please contact Space4All@kcl.ac.uk).

3. Individual entries are also welcome.

4. For entrants under 18, submissions must be sent by an adult (in order to comply with data protection regulations).

5. International entries are welcome, but submissions must be made in English.

6. Intellectual property rights remain with the participant, but by entering, you grant the organisers a license to use, showcase, or publish the entries for promotional purposes.