The Andy Thomas Space Foundation, along with project supporter The Australian Space Agency, and delivery partner Makers Empire are proud to present the 2026 Kids in Space Program.
The Kids in Space Program engages primary school students in STEM learning and promotes awareness of careers in the space industry through real-world projects. This initiative program offers an exciting opportunity to integrate space-themed STEM education into classrooms and inspire the next generation of innovators.
Over the past few years Kids in Space has been delivered across Australia, reaching over 300 schools, 800 teachers, and 30,000 students in metropolitan, regional, and remote areas.
Culminating in project showcases, students presented their responses to the design thinking challenge:
Design something that might help astronauts to work and live in space or use space technologies to design something that will help solve a problem on Earth.
The Kids in Space state/territory finals and showcase events are designed for schools to come together to share their learning, and to listen to guest speakers from the space industry. Schools were eligible for prizes awarded by both guests judges and their fellow students. Teams selected by the judges win a trip to Adelaide to compete in the national Kids in Space showcase at the Australian Space Discovery Centre later in the year.
The Northern Territory in the Kids in Space Showcase was held at Charles Darwin University, Danala Community Precinct.
Judges for this showcase included:
Alawa Primary School (Team 2)
Astronauts are required to exercise daily and it can be quite boring. This team developed a solution to this problem, designing a multi-sensory exercise experience for space.
Team 3 Palmerston Christian College
This team addressed the big problem of space debris, with the aim of making space a safer place for astronauts. Their ‘Ultra-Fast Orbit Cleaner’ uses magnets and vacuum technology to collect the debris. Feedback from others helped them to improve their prototypes, including the addition of solar panels.
Team 3 The Essington School
To address the problem that astronauts face, living in a microgravity environment, this team designed the ‘Orbit Spin’, a mini space station that spins to generate its own gravity. This section of the ISS provides a more comfortable space for astronauts to eat, sleep and exercise, leaving the existing zero-gravity section for scientific experiments and training.
The SA Kids in Space Showcase was held at the Klemzig Community Hall in Adelaide.
Judges for this showcase were:
Kingston Community College
This team investigated how we might protect spacecraft and astronauts from space debris damage. They designed an autonomous cleaning robot that can operate on spacecraft surfaces to find and fix space debris problems.
Roseworthy Primary School
Researched food in space, specifically how to provide astronauts with a different protein source. They created a safe cube for chickens to hatch and grow as a fresh protein source for the astronauts.
St Peters Woodlands (teams 1 & 2)
Debris Destroyer – a device that uses a system of claws, tubes, conveyor belts and crushers to collect and destroy the vast amount of space junk already polluting our solar system.
SnooZzzees – a high-tech combination of mattress and onesies, utilising electromagnets and allowing greater movement while sleeping, making conditions significantly more comfortable for astronauts.
The WA in the Kids in Space Showcase was held at Joseph Banks Secondary College Gym.
Judges for this showcase were:
Team 2 Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School
This project was a space junk collector which ‘eats’ space junk to help keep astronauts safe. The collector also recycles and reuses the junk it finds.
Team 1 Gwynne Park Primary School
For this project, students designed a habitat to help protect the endangered red-tailed black cockatoo using GPS trackers to see where they fly, as well as drones, and heat cameras. This bird is at risk due to deforestation and bees.
Team 2 Goldfields Baptist College
This team designed a mouse maze trap using thermal infrared sensors to help with mice plagues. It uses sensors to open and close doors to trap mice in a maze.
The Queensland showcase was held at Gordonvale State School.
Trinity Beach State School
Aurukun State School
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School
Gordonvale State School
Wonga Beach State School
El Arish State School
Mission Beach State School
Daintree State School
Team 1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School
This team drew on local Torres Strait Islander knowledge and practices and incorporated satellite and sensor technologies to develop a tracking system for the culturally and environmentally significant turtle population in the Torres Strait. This included the study of nesting practices and habitats and the tracking of turtle movements. These technologies ensure that Indigenous rangers can monitor and move turtle eggs when nests are threatened, ensuring turtles can survive and thrive.
Team 2 El Arish State School
The Hydration Heroes tackled an important challenge of providing astronauts with enough safe drinking water without needing to transport larqe quantities from Earth. Their solution, ‘Solar Sip’, is a multi-stage filtration system designed to treat water so it can be safely reused. The system incorporates pre-filters to remove debris, reverse osmosis to remove salt, and a solar-powered UV disinfection chamber to target microorganisms and bacteria.
Team 1 Daintree State School
Inspired by a movie that explored growing food in space, the students designed a dome for growing plants in space, experimenting with a range of fertilisers and local animal faeces to enhance growth. Their design also incorporates a vacuum system for watering.
The Victorian showcase was held at North Melbourne Primary School.
Team 1 St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School
This team researched global food insecurity, with a focus on the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal. They framed their challenge around the question: how might we help people in rural South Africa when their crops are dying and need water? Their solution was a water purification tank designed for countries facing drought conditions.
Team 2 Highton Primary School
Design: The M.I.N.D. Navigator (Medical Information Navigator Device)
Investigeted the problem of astronauts accessing medical advice while in space. They created an interactive device with rotating information dials, utilising AI.
Team 3 Mulgrave Primary School & Team 2 St Francis of Assissi
Mulgrave Primary School
Design: O-Maze Space
Researched a variety of materials to prevent dust from getting into moon rovers and stopping them working. They used a viscoelastic polymer shield because the lunar dust sticks to it insteading of going inside the moon rover.
St Francis
Design: Artificial Pollination
The team investigated how pollinators such as bees, butterflies, birds and local squirrel gliders move between flowers, learning from local naturalist and bee expert Karen Retra and dissecting flowers from Mrs Grant’s garden to understand how pollen is transferred.
Inspired by the fine hairs of a bee, the students designed 3D-printed tools to transfer pollen.
The Victorian showcase was held at North Melbourne Primary School.
Curtin Primary School
This team developed a solution to address the challenge of making space more liveable for humans. They designed a high-tech greenhouse for Mars that produces a renewable source of plants, with carefully selected varieties such as duckweed, passionfruit and olives, that can survive in harsh conditions.
Team 1 Canberra Grammar School and Team 2, St Francis of Assisi Primary School
Canberra Grammar School
This team explored how they might stop toilet waste in space from becoming space junk, using recycling processes to turn waste in to plant fertiliser
St Francis of Assisi Primary School
This team redesigned the space boot, giving astronauts better functionality on how they move in space. It incorporates adjustabe suction levels to manage varying climates, terrains and levels of gravity.
Team 2 Harrison School and Team 1 St Bede’s Primary School
Harrison School
The students from Harrison school explored issues around monitoring deforestation, concerned about its impacts on habitats, biodiversity, water cycles and climate change.
St Bede’s Primary School
The St Bede’s team’s ‘Super Suction Boots’ with built-in suction caps and magnets, make life easier for astronauts to move about in a micro-gravity environment.
