Space is increasingly capturing the imaginations of all ages…and 2015 will only see the excitement and intrigue grow…
It is a proud time for the British Space Industry as home-grown Tim Peake trains as the next British astronaut to head up to the International Space Station this year
There is global excitement surrounding space exploration satellites including Rosetta’s recent shadowed mission and Kepler’s discovery of new exoplanets and the Earth’s potential twin planets thousands of light years away
As data from GPS satellites becomes increasingly part of everyday life, new mobile technologies and apps are being created and applied for smart living uses within society
NESTA’s new competition the Longitude Explorer Prize 2015 (LEP) builds on this excitement and is designed to engage and inspire 11 to 16 year olds.
A fun and didactic competition, the LEP offers the chance for students to explore the possibilities of all types of satellites and use their imaginations to come up with new ideas for apps, services and/or products that make use of the increasingly sophisticated data received from space.
There is an added bonus of cash prizes – up to £25,000 – can be won for the school/education group.
For shortlisted entries from Stage One there is an all-paid visit to the Big Bang Fair in March where entrants will work with mentors to develop their ideas.
There is still plenty of time to enter – the deadline is the beginning of February for first stage initial concepts. There is no restriction to the amount of ideas a school or individual can put forward and it is a very simple process, designed for busy schedules.
Classroom resources and competition starter kits - can be found here:
