Students interested in space exploration and aged between 7 and 22 can take part in the Odysseus competition, an exciting adventure that combines scientific learning with hands-on experience!

The Odysseus European Youth Space Contest targets students from around the world, irrespective of their cultural background or language.

The competition is is divided into three age groups: Skywalkers, Pioneers, and Explorers but the ultimate aim of the project is to foster the development of qualified scientists, engineers and technicians in areas relevant to the priorities of EU’s space policy.

Skywalkers must attend an elementary or lower secondary school and be aged between 7 and 13. Until 31 March 2016 they can submit a drawing related to one of the four suggested themes, which are:

• Solar System and space science
• Europe in space
• Human beings on Mars
• Astrobiology- the search for life in the Univers

Secondary school students aged between 14 and 18 can enter the Pioneers category of the competition. They will work in teams of two or three members and should be led by one teacher-leader. They must choose the type of project they want to work on (an experiment, a video, a prototype, a presentation etc.) and select between the same topics given to the Skywalkers: 

• Solar System and space science
• Europe in space
• Human beings on Mars
• Astrobiology- the search for life in the Universe

The deadline to submit their entries is 15 January 2016.

Explorers must attend university and be aged between 17 and 22. They may compete as individuals or in pairs and they may choose to be advised by a mentor on scientific and technical aspects of their project entry. They must submit until 15 January 2016 an original space-related project based on one of the following themes:

• Galileo: daily benefits of space applications
• Copernicus: Earth observation
• Rosetta mission: space exploration
• Gaia mission: watching the stars
• General: establishing links between field data and satellite data

When evaluating students’projects, judges will award points according to the following criteria: academic excellence, theme relevance, problem-solving abilities, originality, social relevance, presentation, technical merit, practical skills, sustainability, and environment awareness.

To find out more about the contest rules and entry requirements, please visit the Odysseus website.