Space Settlement Design Competition — A Physics-and-Math Springboard for IP Students
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)25 Jul 2025, 00:00 Z
TL;DR
The Space Settlement Design Competition (SSDC) is a NASA-affiliated, industry-simulation challenge where high school students design orbital habitats. Over 9,000 students from 20+ countries participate annually.
For Singapore IP students, the SSDC builds direct fluency in vector maths, artificial gravity, solar-power calculations, and project-pitching skills—all while preparing them for WA pacing and spreadsheet-based Physics Paper 4 practicals.
1 What is the SSDC?
The SSDC is a global aerospace design competition founded in 1984 by Boeing engineer Anita Gale and others to simulate real-world Request for Proposal (RFP) responses. Students aged 15-18 form fictional “companies” to design space settlements.
They must submit detailed designs (mass, cost, structural, life-support specs) to a mock client—in 24 hours or less.
Regional winners qualify for the International Finals, typically held each July at NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC).
2 Competition Format
| Stage | Timeline | Key Deliverable |
| Regional qualifiers | Oct-Mar | 40-page design PDF + 15-slide presentation |
| National/Continental round | Mar-Apr | Revised design with live Q&A and inter-company review |
| International Finals (KSC) | Late Jul | 24-hour live RFP response + oral pitch at KSC auditorium |
In 2023, the team Vulture Aviation, led by students from Amity School, Pushp Vihar (India), won the global championship.
Amity School announcement
3 Direct IP Maths & Physics Applications
3.1 Artificial gravity: centripetal motion
To simulate gravity in space, students solve:
\[ a = \frac{v^2}{r} = g \Rightarrow v = \sqrt{g r} \]
This appears in IP Year 4 and A-Level Physics Topic 7 (Circular Motion). Graphing \(v^2\) vs \(r\) to extract \(g\) mimics Paper 4 practicals.
3.2 Solar array design: energy per unit area
Panels must deliver power:
\[ P = \eta I_{\odot} A \]
where \(I_{\odot} \approx 1361 \space \pu{W.m-2}\) (solar constant), \(\eta\) is efficiency, and \(A\) is area.
Used in both SSDC power budgets and A-Level Topic 4 Energy questions.
3.3 Rocket mass-fraction math: Tsiolkovsky equation
For logistic cost estimates:
\[ \Delta v = v_e \ln \left(\frac{m_0}{m_f}\right) \]
This reinforces logarithm manipulation in Additional Math and connects to real-world orbital mechanics.
NASA Rocket Equation Guide
4 Why SSDC Suits IP Students
| Domain | IP Relevance |
| Vector force analysis | Year 3-4 FBDs and dynamics problems |
| Trigonometry in orbit | Angles, cone volumes, solar panel tilt - used in Y4 Math |
| Spreadsheet modelling | =LINEST(), gradient ± standard error - A-Level Paper 4 |
| Comms & pitch delivery | Mirrors H1 Project Work oral presentation (PW OP) |
Students divide into 12 technical roles. Roles include: Structural Engineer, Human Factors Lead, Automation Director, and Cost Analyst. Each person contributes slide content, estimates, and oral commentary.
5 Timeline for Singapore-Based IP Students
| Month | Milestone | Suggested Practice |
| Nov | Register for SSDC | Revise solid geometry and trigonometry |
| Dec | Team selection & slide templates | Build basic Excel model with units & mass calculator |
| Jan-Feb | Regional RFP released | Practise uncertainty propagation, energy equations |
| Feb-Mar | SSDC Asia Round (24h live sim) | Apply LINEST on school lab data; time 35-slide deck creation |
| Apr-Jul | International Finalist prep (if chosen) | Practise pitch rehearsals, CAD model annotation, WA drill sync |
6 SSDC as Portfolio & DSA Asset
- Recognised internationally, SSDC is seen on admissions resumes in STEM programmes (especially aerospace, engineering, and physics).
- Builds rare overlap of technical and leadership skills: vector equations, PowerPoint pacing, time-boxed team coordination.
- Prepares students for WA2 project rubrics, PW OP, and A-Level Paper 4 data communication.
7 Further Reading
8 Call-to-action
Parents: book a 90-minute SSDC Prep Workshop — we convert syllabus vectors and solar-panel equations into spreadsheet-ready design tools.
Students: download a past-year RFP tonight, highlight every number, and link it to a known formula.
That's 50 % of the SSDC already solved.
Last updated 25 Jul 2025. Next revision due when 2026 SSDC Rulebook is published.
