Moon Camp Pioneers 2021 – 2022
For more projects visit the Moon Camp Pioneers project gallery.
The Moon Camp Challenge invites students to be pioneers exploring the lunar environment and develop a future moon base.
In the future, to enable astronauts to stay on the Moon for long periods of time, new infrastructures must be developed to overcome important challenges. Such challenges include protection from radiation and meteorites, energy production, the extraction and recycling of water, food production and much more.
In Moon Camp Pioneers each team’s mission is to design a 3D Moon Camp able to sustain at least 2 astronauts and keep them safe from the hazards and vacuum of space. Teams will also have to submit a report about their project.
Teams will develop a number of interdisciplinary scientific experiments to explore the extreme environment of space and understand how astronauts could live on the Moon. Afterwards they will 3D design their Moon Camp using Fusion 360 and write a report explaining their project.
Their design should be adapted to the Moon environment and make use of local resources and provide protection and/or living and working facilities for the astronauts. Participating teams will compete for the Moon Camp Pioneers prize for best project.
Use of local resources (e.g. lunar soil, water ice)
Technological solutions (e.g. power source, recycling system, food growth chamber)
Protection (from meteorites and radiation)
Living and working facilities for at least 2 astronauts.
Registrations for the challenge are open from 15 September 2021 to 21 April 2022.
To participate in Moon Camp Pioneers, teams should be comprised of 2 to 6 students and must be supported by a teacher or educator. The project must be submitted by the teacher or educator.
Participation in Moon Camp Pioneers is open worldwide* to teams of students aged 15 up to (and including) 19 years old. Students attending a postsecondary/tertiary institution are not eligible to participate.
Students younger than 15 years old are allowed to join a team in Moon Camp Pioneers if at least half of the participants are within the specified age range.
Teams that participated in Moon Camp Discovery are also allowed to submit a project to Moon Camp Pioneers.
There is no limit to the number of teams a school or club can enter, but each student can only enter one team, and each team can submit one entry only.
* Moon Camp Challenge is open worldwide. In the framework of the current collaboration agreement between ESA and Airbus Foundation, if you apply from an ESA Member State*, Slovenia, Canada, Lithuania or Latvia your team will have to fulfil the following extra conditions:
• At least 50% of team members must be citizens of an ESA Member State, Slovenia, Canada, Lithuania or Latvia.
• Each team member must be:
‒ Enrolled in a full time primary or secondary school located in an ESA Member State, Slovenia or Canada, Lithuania or Latvia
‒ or, be home-schooled (certified by the National Ministry of Education or delegated authority in an ESA Member State, Slovenia, Canada, Lithuania or Latvia)
‒ or, be a member of a club or after-school group, such as Science Club, Scouts or the like.
* ESA Member States in 2021: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
A jury composed of ESA, Airbus Foundation and Autodesk experts will select the winning teams based on the quality of the design and report submitted. The design should be adapted to and feasible for the lunar environment, making use of natural features. The report must explain the design choices and overall habitability and functionality of the Moon camp. The teams should include their scientific reasoning for the choices presented.
Innovation, creativity and inventiveness (25%): How well does this new design “push the envelope” and enhance user experience?
Software skills (25%): How well does the student design demonstrate technical skills and quality of design based on technical requirements?
Suitability to purpose (25%): How well does the design prove useful and suited to serving its purpose of providing a functional Moon Camp?
Online Form (25%): How well does the report explain the reasoning for design choices and overall habitability of the Moon camp?
How to submit the project?1. The team’s 3D model must be created exclusively using Autodesk® Fusion 360. Submissions created in other software programs will not be accepted.
2. Projects must be submitted to the Moon Camp online platform: online platform. The deadline is 21 April 2022.
3. By submitting the project, the participants agree that their project will be shared on the Moon Camp platform. Participants accept that ESA Education and partners have the right to use the entirety or parts of the project for outreach and education purposes.
4. Submissions must include:
the team’s report explaining the project and design, written in English. The report should follow the provided template.
at least one rendering or screenshot of the project as a .JPG or .PNG file from Fusion 360.
The team’s design of their Moon Camp as a Fusion 360 file. Submissions must be submitted as one .F3D file or .F3Z file (maximum file size 100 Mb).
5. Each team must model all individual components of the design. It is not permitted to import existing CAD data into the design, with the exception of any files provided by Autodesk, ESA, or Airbus Foundation.
6. The team must be the sole author/owner of the project and all materials submitted to the Moon Camp Challenge. Projects sponsored or funded by third parties may not be used. No third party (including your school or project sponsors) should have any rights to materials you submit.
7. ESA and Airbus Foundation, at their sole discretion, reserve the right to disqualify submissions that do not follow the guidelines, or that contain messages that are deemed inappropriate or inadequate for the audience.
If your team is joining the Moon Camp Pioneers, you will have to create your 3D design project using Fusion 360. Fusion 360 is a free 3D design software for students, educators, and academic institutions, follow these instructions to obtain an educational license.
Are you new to 3D design? Get started with the step-by-step tutorials below. Once you are familiar with Fusion 360, you can put your design skills into action and build your own Moon Camp.
For any questions, consult the FAQ section or send an email to moon.camp@esa.int
Registrations will be open from 15 September 2021 until 21 April 2022. Participation is open worldwide to teams of students 15 to (and including) 19 years old. Teams must be comprised of a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 6 students and must be supported by a teacher/ educator.
Guidelines
Consult here the template you have to complete for your report.
Pioneers, Guidelines
Do you need help with your first steps in designing with Fusion 360? Learn how to download, create an account and gain educational access to Fusion 360.
3D design - Fusion 360
Do you need some help with your first steps in designing collaboratively with Fusion 360? Learn how to create an educational team and work with other to design with Fusion 360.
3D design - Fusion 360
Unable to download Fusion 360? Try running the software in your browser instead! Simply visit https://fusion.online.autodesk.com and sign in to your Educational account to access Fusion 360 in your browser
3D design - Fusion 360, Pioneers
Learn to work with Fusion 360 functions step-by-step.
3D design - Fusion 360
A .f3z file is an Autodesk Fusion 360 file that can contain one or more .f3d Fusion 360 3D design files.
3D design - Fusion 360
Your home away from Earth has to have a lot more than a place to eat and sleep – it’s the only structure on the Moon!
3D design - Fusion 360
How do you get to the Moon? By rocket, of course. But how do you construct it so it can break through the Earth’s atmosphere?
3D design - Fusion 360
The bumpy and unpredictable terrain of the Moon’s surface necessitates rugged vehicles for commuting, cargo transport, and exploration
3D design - Fusion 360
Even daily communication changes when living on the moon.
3D design - Fusion 360
To protect themselves from the cold vacuum of space, astronauts need to have a helmet that provides safety but also functionality in order for them to perform their duties.
3D design - Fusion 360
Learn how to create bodies in Fusion 360 to start designing your Moon Camp.
3D design - Fusion 360
Learn how to bulid a Moon habitat consisting of different shapes.
3D design - Fusion 360
Learn how to improve your design by adding details to your Moon base.
3D design - Fusion 360
Learn how to render your design to finish your Moon Camp.
3D design - Fusion 360
Biology | In this activity students will consider whether life found in extreme environments on Earth could survive elsewhere in the Solar System.
Classroom Resources
Biology | In this set of experimental activities, students will investigate the survival abilities of tardigrades also known as water bears.
Classroom Resources
Physics | In this set of activities, students will learn about two concepts that influence solar panel design for space missions: the inverse square law and the angle of incidence.
Classroom Resources
Physics | In this set of 3 activities students will design and build their own paper rockets and launch them.
Classroom Resources
Physics | In this set of activities, students will plan, design, and build a landing module to secure the survival of the crew (in the form of an egg-naut) landing on the Moon.
Classroom Resources
Chemistry | In this set of three activities, students will learn about electrochemistry. In the first activity they will build a Volta Pile – a simple battery.
Classroom Resources
Chemistry | In this resource, students will learn about changes of state of matter using water on the Moon as an example.
Classroom Resources
ESA - European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer invites students all over the world to participate in the Moon Camp Challenge and design their own Moon settlement with a 3D modelling tool (Tinkercad or Fusion 360). Moon Camp is an education project run in collaboration between ESA and the Airbus Foundation, in partnership with Autodesk and it is open to students up to 18 years old.
Meet the experts
It’s common knowledge that the Moon is a cratered ball of rock. Stunning as it is in the night sky or in photographs taken from orbit the landscape is barren, grey, dusty and dark. Are there other things to be found than meets the eye? Moon scientist Alexandre Meurisse explains which resources can be found on the Moon. This video has subtitles in English, and it can be auto translated to multiple languages.
Meet the experts
We can 3D print just about anything these days, from tools and buildings to cells and even food. But that’s on Earth, where materials are readily available. What about in space or on the Moon? Could we 3D print a lunar base? ESA engineer Advenit Makaya walks us through the process. This video has subtitles in English, and it can be auto translated to multiple languages.
Meet the experts
The Apollo Mission proved humans can work on the lunar surface but the longest lunar spacewalk lasted a total of 22 hours. Could humans spend longer amounts of time on the Moon? How about live there, as they do on the International Space Station? Lunar technology expert Bérengère Houdou describes living on the Moon. This video has subtitles in English, and it can be auto translated to multiple languages.
Meet the experts
Though it has been fifty years since humans first stepped on the Moon, we haven’t forgotten about Earth’s natural satellite. Several missions since Apollo have taught us so much about the Moon and have paved the way for humankind to return. ESA Moon scientist James Carpenter gives us an overview of these missions and future exploration of the Moon. This video has subtitles in English, and it can be auto translated to multiple languages.
Meet the experts
ESA astronauts Samantha Cristoforetti and Luca Parmitano join the 2019/20 Moon Camp Challenge winning teams for a 1-hour webinar. Connecting from all over the world, the teams have their questions answered live by the ESA astronauts.
Meet the experts
The teams behind the 12 winning projects of the Moon Camp Challenge 2018-2019 were invited to participate in a live webinar with European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake
Meet the experts
Mark Chester, Autodesk Academic Partner and 3D Design Expert, will show how to use 3D modelling software to help you design your camp on the Moon. One single webinar will be provided for teachers and teams applying to Moon Camp’s
Meet the experts
James Carpenter, from ESA’s Human and Robotics Exploration Directorate, working in areas focussing on space exploration, will give an overview of the lunar exploration efforts that have been done so far and discuss why space agencies believe returning to the Moon is the next stepping stone in space exploration.
Meet the experts
Join Paxi as he explores the Moon. In this video, targeted at children aged between 6 and 12, Paxi explains the Moon's phases and eclipses. The adventures of Paxi are also available in the following languages: ?? https://youtu.be/C3CoOgHxsAk ?? https://youtu.be/G9AbC5KlIPA ?? https://youtu.be/rq_GaHAz8F4 ?? https://youtu.be/eFg6n4WLDho ?? https://youtu.be/HPFXqqe971I ?? https://youtu.be/RuTuefZC45Q ?? https://youtu.be/Fv56Nk2kpqU ?? https://youtu.be/K9BJfsgIMcE ?? https://youtu.be/K_KqWr4oHmA ?? https://youtu.be/i7Zq545gMOo ?? https://youtu.be/X-o9PmbDNzA ?? https://youtu.be/MjJxaCBjUQ4 ?? https://youtu.be/CGlZiLBGruo
Moon Videos
In this video, targeted at children aged between 6 and 12 years, Paxi explores what humans need to live on the Moon. The adventures of Paxi are also available in the following languages: ?? https://youtu.be/x9MqiQoIzJc ?? https://youtu.be/nhElPPLwW5M ?? https://youtu.be/8popaYvkhb4 ?? https://youtu.be/LobWAO6a-Hk ?? https://youtu.be/xzeL-TZz_Qg ?? https://youtu.be/DaAUE1R9pn4 ?? https://youtu.be/pdOzAzA6SfQ ?? https://youtu.be/GzRdVAbJaDQ ?? https://youtu.be/DYdAR2F7KTY ?? https://youtu.be/W2Y2RMEacDQ ?? https://youtu.be/2jVsuVZbez8 ?? https://youtu.be/xd1a0BHZ2uo ?? https://youtu.be/_rpxtATdMvE
Moon Videos
How exactly does a rocket engine work? Learn about different factors that affect your space launch and how to design an aerodynamic rocket to the moon. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Flying to the moon is tricky business, especially since you can’t just head in a direct line. How can you plan your trajectory to the moon? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
A manned spacecraft needs a soft landing, but it’s all in the timing. Fire up your thrusters and hope you’ve picked the right spot to touch down. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
An entirely new landscape awaits when you land on the Moon. Will you choose one of the poles or dig underground – where will your Moon village be? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Just one year on the moon maxes out the amount of solar radiation we can handle over a lifetime. What’s the best sunscreen for moon life? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
A lunar day lasts for 14 Earth days, but night can be just as long. Is solar energy our best bet for powering the Moon base? And how do we make it last? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
About 180 craters appear on the Moon every year, not to mention being hit by golf ball-sized meteors all year long. How do we stay protected? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
The first Moon structure has a lot of roles to fill: a home base not only for sleeping and eating but for research and experiments, too. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
When you think of building, you probably think of bricks – but Moon rock is an entirely different material. So what’s the best way to build on the Moon? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Holding our breath isn’t an option on the Moon, we need sources of oxygen to sustain life. Let’s start by importing some plants to help us breathe easy. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
There are only so many groceries you can bring to the Moon, so how do you produce food in a place with no air? Here’s now to cultivate lunar food sources. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
One Earthling’s trash is another astronaut’s treasure. We can turn waste products into valuable sources of heat and fuel, and recycled materials. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Since the Moon is as dry as Earth’s driest desert, we’ll have to bring water with us. The water recycling system used on the ISS can help our supply last. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
The aim of the Moon mission is to research how to live on other planets. That means not only experimenting on the environment – but also on ourselves! This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Getting stuff done on the moon requires more effort than what the first settlers can manage by themselves. Robots to the rescue! This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Top tips for an unforgettable Moon adventure include impact craters housing ancient organisms from the days of the universe’s creation. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
How best to travel on the moon with rocks, boulders and craters in our way? And when settlements expand, what will our lunar infrastructure look like? This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Even daily communication changes when living on the Moon. Without air to carry our voices, we might rely on lasers to beam our message home. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish.
Moon Videos
Can you imagine how would it be to live on the Moon? See how, in the future, a day in the life of an astronaut could be. This animation has subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Dutch, English, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.
Moon Videos
What does it take to send astronauts into space? Learn how the European Service Module (ESM) Airbus built for the European Space Agency & NASA will power the Orion mission, providing electricity, water, oxygen and nitrogen to keep the spacecraft ship shape.
Moon Videos
Winne tells us all about preparing for a trip to the Moon in this video.
Moon Videos
Developing the safest and most efficient way to return to the Moon starts on Earth. European astronauts and spacewalk experts are preparing for the future of Moon exploration with electronic aids, upgraded geological tools from the Apollo era and improved scientific protocols.
Moon Videos
Al Worden, Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 15 mission talks about the US space programme during the space race and the future of lunar exploration.
Moon Videos
This film gives an overview of the past, present, and future of Moon exploration, from the Lunar cataclysm to ESA’s vision of what Lunar exploration could be. This video has subtitles in English, and it can be auto translated to multiple languages.
Moon Videos
Could astronauts one day be printing rather than building a base on the Moon?
Moon Videos
Find more information about the Moon in this collection of educational material.
Multimedia
Satisfy your curiosity, learn and be inspired. Create your own journey through the web documentary to master the why and how of lunar exploration.
Multimedia
Have fun and learn about the Moon by playing the Moon web games.
Multimedia
