The StellarXplorers 2024-2025 Season
by Sophia Mdinaradze and Jordin Lim
How the StellarXplorers Competition Works
The StellarXplorers Space STEM Program, created by the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), “inspires high school and middle school students toward careers in space, aviation, and other science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines critical to our nation’s future.” During the annual space-design national competition, teams are given a packet containing a mission scenario, task, and relevant information. In six hours, students must come up with a solution to the problem and optimize it to earn points. Students may compete in a total of eight rounds: three practice, three qualifying, semi-finals, and finals.
Qualifying and practice round one involve designing an orbit for a satellite using STK, software that simulates space dynamics. The second round consists of choosing components (camera, battery, solar power, etc.) for the satellite. Finally, the third round is to determine the rocket and launch site for the satellite. Semifinals and finals encompass aspects of all three rounds into one session. Throughout these rounds, competitors must optimize their solution by taking into consideration the weight, weather, budget, fuel, and goal in the scenario. In addition, competitors are provided with a packet outlining the mission scenario, the requirements for the solution, and other relevant information.
To solve their problems, participants utilize Microsoft Excel and STK (Ansys’s Systems Tool Kit). STK is able to simulate the orbit of a satellite and calculate the amount of time it accesses stations or other objects on Earth. Participants are able to learn how to use this software through Ansys’s certification course and sample scenarios provided on the StellarXplorers website.
StellarXplorers 2025-2026 Finals
From April 22nd - 26th, our senior Science Academy StellarXplorers team, Space Jam, competed in the final round of the Stellar Xplorers competition. This round brought the top 10 teams from all around the nation to Denver, Colorado to participate in an 8-hour competition, while providing them opportunities to speak with companies and to go on field trips related to aerospace engineering.
During their first day there, teams were brought on a field trip to the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum. The museum boasted incredible exhibits that allowed teams to explore historic aircrafts, spacecrafts, and artifacts. Following the field trip, representatives from companies such as Ansys, ULA, L3Harris, and AGI had set up booths where teams had the chance to speak with them regarding job opportunities, internships, and other ways to further their learning.
The next day was the big competition day. Teams woke up bright and early to take on the 8 hour scenario. During their time, teams were presented with the following scenario, summarized by Space Jam team leader, Katie Shin: NASA wants to explore whether or not “Venus can provide a sustainable environment by checking the weather of the planet using a specially modified balloon to monitor the conditions of the atmosphere. Which rocket, components, and orbit is needed to maximize access to the balloon so that there are consistent and high-quality image transmissions from the balloon to Earth?” Teams were also required to create a presentation about their process of solving the scenario, which they were to present the next day. After a grueling 8 hours, the teams submitted their solutions and went back to their hotel rooms to practice their presentations.
The following day was the last day of the competition, and teams presented their presentations and took the academic quiz. That night, the winners were announced: Space Jam, consisting of Katie Shin, Jason Guieb, Josh Aguilar, Ava Soh, Garrett Kido, and Ryder Guzman, worked tirelessly for the entire competition and successfully secured the 2nd place trophy. Some members of the team gave us their insight about the competition and their time competing at Stellar Xplorers:
“After I went home from the final scenario, I had the thought: the job is finished. We had the perfect team and we had the perfect—almost perfect—ending to the year. In general, I would like to thank all my teammates for making me a better person, a better teammate, and a harder worker, and for believing in me the entire time. I’ve been here from the start and I literally wouldn’t change a thing.”
“I have met my best friends here, people who have changed the course of my life for the better with their radiating, hardworking personalities.”
“I’ve applied to several colleges this year and the number one thing I put in each application is StellarXplorers, which taught me to be a better leader, stronger team member, and how to tackle every challenge that stands in the way.”
“StellarXplorers has given me the opportunity to explore my passion for STEM, become a team player which is essential for any future career that I choose, and have so much fun with friends while being challenged at the same time!”
Congratulations to Space Jam and their team director, Mr. Rosenthal!
If this competition sounds interesting to you, please join the StellarXplorers club next year! Though meetings are over for this year, we will most likely be meeting every Thursday in Mr. Parks’s room next year. Please speak to the new StellarXplorers’ president Sophia Mdinaradze for more details. We can’t wait to see you there!
For more info on the competition, visit this page.
