Seven high school learners from the Western Cape have etched their names into history by winning the prestigious International Space Settlement Design Competition, Cape {town} Etc reports.
This renowned competition, held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is the world’s longest-running space engineering contest for schools, and Team ZA’s victory marks South Africa’s first-ever entry into the finals.
Selected through the inaugural South Africa Space Design Competition hosted by the University of Cape Town, Team ZA was the sole representative from Africa, standing tall among competitors from the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, China, and the United States.
The team comprised Zayaan Abdurahman (Mondale High School), Joseph Allderman (Westerford High School), Benjamin Honigwachs (Bishops Diocesan College), Alaya Kaplen (Cannons Creek Independent School), Qayalah Omar (Cannons Creek Independent School), Ethan Schoombee (Fairmont High School), and Dean Weich (Bishops Diocesan College).
Team ZA’s winning proposal, dubbed ‘Hermes,’ was an innovative design for a futuristic spacecraft capable of transporting 3,000 people across the inner Solar System, setting a benchmark for future space engineering projects.
The members of the team played integral roles, with Qaylah Omar showcasing their design as a presenter, while Benjamin Honigwachs, Joseph Allderman, and Ethan Schoombee defended their concept before the esteemed panel of judges.
Joseph Allderman also had the honour of receiving the Anita Gale Creative Genius Prize, one of only four awarded throughout the competition.
Reflecting on their collaborative success, Allderman noted, ‘Team ZA worked so cohesively together that we all deserved this award. I was just the one who got picked to represent it,’
His sentiments were echoed by the Acting Provincial Minister for Education, Anton Bredell who congratulated the talented students: ‘On behalf of the Western Cape Government, I congratulate these remarkable young South Africans on their achievement. Their success is a powerful reminder that South African learners have the talent, determination, and creativity to compete with the very best in the world when they are given the opportunity,’
Chair and Executive Director of the South Africa Space Design Competition, Jagger Cooper-Doubell reinforced the significance of this achievement, stating, ‘This achievement proves that South Africa’s talent can compete with the very best in the world. The talent was never missing in South Africa. The opportunity was,’
He highlighted the competition’s vital role in providing a platform and challenge for the learners, allowing them to excel on a global scale.
Following their groundbreaking success, plans are underway to expand the competitive landscape of space design in South Africa, with regional events slated for the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in 2027.
Ambitious outreach plans aim to include all nine provinces, with entries for the 2027 South African season opening later this year.
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Picture: WCED
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