The Space Olympics Expands to the International Stage with Over 10,700 Participating Students

11.02.2025

The Space Olympics

The Space Olympics expands its flagship educational initiative in collaboration with Azercosmos’ SPACE Academy.

This expansion of the educational program, the Space Olympics, stems from an agreement formalized during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Baku, 2023. For the first time, the competition has become an international educational initiative, with Azerbaijan joining as the participant in this unique program that offers students hands-on experience in the field of space.

For the first time in its history, the Space Olympics is opening its doors to students from other countries: over 10,700 students from 550 schools across Israel, along with approximately 700 students from Azerbaijan, will tackle exciting scientific and technological challenges related to space exploration. Participants will discover just how fascinating, feasible, and accessible space research can be.

For more than a decade, the Space Olympics has been successfully conducted under the leadership of the Israel Space Agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. It is designed for elementary school students (grades 4–6) and middle school students (grades 7–9).

Participants in the Space Olympics embark on an exciting journey consisting of four thrilling phases, spread over an academic year and structured to foster growth in areas like space stations (for middle school students) and space suits (for elementary school students). The competition stages include:

Preparation Phase
At schools, students learn about various space-related topics, participate in hands-on activities, and build foundational knowledge.
Online Challenges Phase
Students engage with quizzes and puzzles that test their understanding of the learned material.
Project Phase
The core of the competition, where students collaborate in teams to develop research or engineering projects related to space. This year’s focus is designing space stations and space suits.
Final Phase
The top teams advancing to the finals in Israel will present their projects to a panel of judges comprising space experts.

A delegation led by Dr. Gilad Shamir, Director of the Space Olympics, and Shaked Meir Ben Shoushan, Head of International Relations, visited Azerbaijan to conduct teacher training sessions. These sessions included professional workshops, expert lectures, and educational tours aimed at enhancing STEM education in both countries.

In February, a joint training program for teachers from both countries will launch, fostering an international community of educators committed to advancing space-related education.

The grand finale, scheduled for May 2025 in Israel, will showcase the outstanding projects from students of both countries, including detailed models that integrate all the knowledge and skills acquired during the competition. The success of this joint initiative will lay the foundation for expanding the program to additional countries in the coming years.

Through this initiative, students will develop essential skills in scientific inquiry, advanced learning strategies, project management, teamwork, and navigating cross-cultural and linguistic challenges, all while gaining an in-depth understanding of the space industry.

This collaboration highlights the value of international partnerships in STEM education and aims to inspire the next generation of leaders in the global space industry.