BRS Won 2nd Place at the 28th International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC)
What can be accomplished in 24 hours? Well, since you asked: What if someone said that a research base on Mars can be “built” to accommodate 400 people. Do you think this idea is unbelievable or mind-boggling? As it turns out, a group of BRS high school students did just that, and, perhaps by the year 2065, their accomplishment in 2020 will come to fruition.
The 28th International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC), 2020-2021 Chinese National Finals competition was held in Hangzhou on November 7-9. The ISSDC is the world’s premier aerospace engineering competition for high school students, attracting thousands of students from across the world who submit SpaceSet design proposals in order to compete every year. The ISSDC competition involves a wide-range of subjects—mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials, celestial bodies, aerospace, architecture, biology and many more—and tests participants’ mastery and application skills in automation, CAD mapping, 3D modeling, accounting and business report, life support systems, Gannt charts, etc.
This year, approximately 200 outstanding contestants from several top-tier high schools across the country were grouped into four temporary ‘companies’ of 48 participants. Based on the premise of “Building a research base capable of accommodating 400 occupants in a natural lava tube on the surface of Mars”, participants engaged in exchanges and scenarios, weighing similar and differing scientific wisdom and ideas. During the 24-hour extreme challenge, BRS’s team Rockdonnell Company exhibited outstanding performance and earned 2nd place, performing very well in a series of challenges: modeling, data collection, equipment and instrument designing, and experimental data analysis. They also showcased their competence and collaboration skills, leadership, communication, critical thinking, business sensitivity and writing and speaking in English throughout the competition.
Congratulations to all on a job well done!
