For the first time ever, BGS had a pupil selected for the International Space Settlement Design Competition (ISSDC). This is an annual event that asks students to become part of fictional future companies bidding to construct a city in space.
At the finals of the UK space competition in March, BGS pupil Miranda, then in Year 11, was chosen to be one of twelve team members representing the UK at the international final.
In July, Miranda and her teammates flew to Florida for the event at the Kennedy Space Center! Team UK were then joined with others from India, China and the USA to form the fictional company Vulture Aviation.
The task turned out to be designing a lunar city with an enormous data centre. Miranda said: “Competitors were given three days to finish, but this is an intentionally short time. Students are also expected to work overnight. It’s arduous, but the adrenaline carries you through!”
Lack of sleep coupled with tension between countries in the company meant that winning would be no mean feat.
Miranda focussed on thermodynamics, trying to find a way to generate enough power for millions of computers and attempting to revolutionise the way these were cooled. “Opting for a fleet of nuclear reactors and fluid cooling systems was daunting when others seemed fixed on the idea of solar power and radiators”, she said. But this work paid off, eventually earning her the Anita Gale Creative Genius individual award. This is a newly established memorial prize in honour of the competition’s co-founder who passed away this year. Anita was a well-respected engineer, having worked on space shuttle programmes.
On the final day, each company presented their proposal to the judges (including a retired astronaut), followed by a Q&A. After some deliberation Vulture Aviation was announced as the winning bidder making the UK international champions! Miranda said of the UK team: “Our bond was unique. We were all determined to succeed and got along really well - whether it was brainstorming ideas, mitigating disagreements or playing board games before the competition. My teammates were warm-hearted, mature and had a strong desire to win. That’s exactly what you need in a competitive industry simulation.”
The visit also included a tour around the Space Center, which houses the Saturn V moon rocket as well as the shuttle Atlantis. But what was possibly the most thrilling sight was watching a SpaceX rocket launch from the coast at night. “Standing by the ocean at 2am with teams from around the world made the luminous spectacle all the more astounding. It really makes you realise that the dream of settlement on the moon is now close to reality!”
Congratulations to Miranda on her remarkable achievement, winning the prestigious Anita Gale Creative Genius award and helping the UK team to an international victory. We look forward to seeing where her journey leads, perhaps one day contributing to real-life space settlements!