Space Settlement Design Competition: Physics-and-Math Springboard for IP Students

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).

• ISSDC Overview
• ISSDC Rulebook & Resources
• NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

2 Competition Format

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

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

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

• Space Settlement Design Competition
• ISSDC Rulebook & Resources
• NASA Earth Fact Sheet (Solar Constant)
• Northrop Grumman - STEM Outreach
• Boeing
• AIAA Foundation - Student Programmes
• ARSSDC Asia Region Portal
• Curriculum Magazine - 2023 SSDC Winners

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.