Young Aussie kids invited to take on Mission: SPACE challenge

Curiosities across the country are set to blast-off! 

Mission: SPACE has launched its latest national classroom challenge and invites primary schools across Australia to get involved.

This free, hands‑on national program — delivered by Scitech and funded by the Australian Space Agency — is designed to inspire and prepare young Australians for space and STEM careers.

Last year, more than 8,000 students from 100 primary schools nationwide took part in this Agency-backed inspiring opportunity — demonstrating how quickly Mission: SPACE is helping STEM skills take shape across Australia.

Turning STEM concepts into real‑world problem‑solving

This year's engaging classroom challenge will blend Mars engineering with curriculum‑aligned STEM.

Students in Years 3–6 will step into the role of space engineers to design, build, and test a Mars lander prototype.

As part of the challenge, students must consider real-world obstacles and design a lander that can carry a payload, survive a launch and landing, and send and receive data between Mars and Earth.

The program also supports teachers to integrate digital technologies into their classrooms, providing ready-to-use materials, curriculum-aligned lesson plans and professional learning sessions.

"Rapid advancements in the space industry mean there are so many opportunities for space‑related careers.

"Many students are already familiar with the role of an astronaut, but there is also a need for a range of different skills in jobs such as space lawyer, intelligent game developer, computer scientist and designer.

"In the Mission: SPACE challenge, students are encouraged to think critically, solve complex problems and work collaboratively. 

~ Inette Henn, Scitech Manager of Learning Futures