OUT OF THIS WORLD: SA high schoolers rocket to the top as Nasa space champions

Seven high school students from the Western Cape have made history by becoming the first South African team to win the prestigious International Space Settlement Design Competition held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The winning team, "Rockdonnell," comprised learners from Bishops Diocesan College, Mondale High School, Westerford High School, Fairmont High School, Cannons Creek Independent School, and Dean Weich.

The journey to the competition was grueling, as the seven teens competed against 109 others during a two-day simulation at the University of Cape Town. They spent every Friday under the tutelage of founder Jagger Cooper-Doubell, learning to pitch, design, and defend complex engineering ideas under pressure.

The pressure was immense, as Team ZA was expected to design a spacecraft capable of transporting 3,000 people across the inner Solar System. In Florida, they had to work with a multinational team, each member bringing unique perspectives and language barriers. However, this diversity helped them approach the problem from various angles and create a comprehensive design called Hermes.

The winning proposal involved a nuclear fission power source instead of theoretical fusion, which Allderman believed was a more practical solution. The team also had to prove the spacecraft's economic viability, a challenge given the lack of budget information until other teams finalized their designs.

Upon completing the rigorous defense before NASA judges and a retired astronaut, Rockdonnell emerged victorious, with Allderman receiving the Anita Gale Creative Genius Prize. For the students, the experience has reshaped their views on their future careers, cementing their dreams of aerospace engineering for some and opening new paths for others.