When in comes to living in space, a generation of great scientific minds have already achieved a huge amount, the International Space Station arguably humanity's finest engineering achievement. Now it’s up to the next generation to take space habitation a step further.
That’s where the UK Space Design Competition (UKSDC) steps in.
Hosted by the Space Science and Engineering Foundation and supported by the UK Space Agency, the competition is open to children between school years 9 to 13, encouraging them to stretch the limits of possibility and design what they regard as the future of space habitation.
Students can enter free competition by taking part in regional heats, or by submitting a three-minute video in response to the theme, which this year is based on a mission to a near by asteroid.
From these entries, the best 160 students will be invited to Imperial College, London to compete in the UK final.
Finalists will have just 24 hours to work in teams of 40 to design the settlement, including building, infrastructure, and a detailed cost analysis.
Teams will then present their proposals to a judging panel that includes experts from NASA, Imperial College and the UK Space Agency.
Finally, a lucky few from the winning team will compete in the International Space Design Competition held by NASA in Houston, Texas.
The deadline for the 2013 competition entry is November 16 2012.
For more information on the competition, visit the UKSDC website.