SEDS Projects

Here at SEDS-USA, we’re proud of the interdisciplinary projects that we offer students throughout the course of the year. The projects below allow students to think critically, work together, and create something out of this world!

Don’t see a project you like but want to get involved in space? 

Ongoing Projects

Banner for a SEDS project sponsered by the Planetary Sunshade Foundation

Space Development for Earth Challenge

Your company has just placed a bid to the government to help counteract the effects of climate change. Your proposal: a sunshade, capable of blocking a portion of incoming solar radiation. In this challenge, your team will create a plan for extracting and transporting material from the Moon or near-Earth asteroids to build the sunshade. The catch- you must stick with already existing technology to make this happen. As with competitive contract bids, the lowest cost doesn’t necessarily win if there are obvious flaws. On the other hand, creative problem-solving and attention to detail will be highly valued!

There are significant benefits to crafting a sunshade that serves other purposes- think solar power, ISAM, or other large-scale projects.

Teams will be paired up with a mentor throughout the project. Winners will receive a cash prize and tickets 2 tickets to the gala at SpaceVision.

Applications close June 22nd

Thank you to our partners at the Planetary Sunshade Foundation for hosting this.

SpaceVision Research Symposium

The SpaceVision Research Symposium lets you showcase your chapter’s (or your own) research to the SEDS community. It’s a great way to highlight SEDS accomplishments and get a deeper understanding of cutting-edge research.

Two other reasons to sign up:

  1. Going to a conference to present your research is a great way to get your school to help fund the conference trip.
  2. The top three projects will get $$$.

2024 Winners:

1st Place

Picture Coming Soon

University of Michigan

2nd Place

FAMU

3rd Place

UCSD

SpaceVision Business Pitch Competition

Do you have an idea that will change the space industry? Tell us about it in a business pitch!

2024 Winners:

1st Place

Georgetown University - Winners of the 2024 Business Pitch competition at SpaceVision

Georgetown University

2nd Place

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

3rd Place

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

The Ambitious Machines Challenge

We’re hosting a contest to recreate the entire program management lifecycle of the ISS.

Compete for cash prizes and tickets to Space Vision 2025 while contributing to a groundbreaking project that digitally recreates the program management behind the International Space Station. Your participation will not only make history but also showcase the power of collaboration and innovation. Join us and leave your mark!

Club For the Future SEDS Postcards

SEDS is proud to partner with Club for the Future to bring our chapters postcards they can send to space. This is a great activity for any chapter meeting, to bring more members, or to disperse within the community.

Get your Club for the Future SEDS postcards here!

Archived Projects

Space For All Spring Challenge

We partnered with Starfield and XBOX to empower the next generation of space adventurers. We needed your curiosity, creativity, and passion to reimagine technologies that contribute to the advancement of space science.

Tasked to research, invent, and develop a multi-disciplinary project that intertwines innovation and cutting-edge science to grow our knowledge of space. The winning proposals feature a comprehensive program to engage the community in fostering STEAM education.

Virtual Graduate School Application Bootcamp

Interested in graduate school? Our summer bootcamp is here to guide you through all the necessary steps to research, apply, and get the most of your graduate degree. Open to all majors and areas of interest. 

The weekly webinars/Q&A sessions and assignments will help you tackle selecting a graduate school, GRE prep, professional development to improve your application, applying for financial assistance, essay and resume-writing, and more. You will also network with current graduate students and young professionals in the field through video chat and our slack chennel. Active participation is necessary to ensure all students registered are supported, and we will cap participation in this program at 100 students.

SpaceVision Art Competition

Congratulations to our SpaceVision 23 art competition winner, Samantha Bechtel from the Portland State Aerospace Society Chapter. With a design using the medium of pen on paper.
Picture Coming Soon

Congratulations to our SpaceVision 23 art competition winner, Samantha Bechtel from the Portland State Aerospace Society Chapter.

SSPI Competition

New project in development, come back soon!

Runkle Regional Rocketry Competiton 

Rockets! rockets! Andddd more rockets! Where Rocketry teams go head to head for a spot at the next Spaceport America Cup

On

Stand-By

Have Questions? Contact the SEDS Project Head below:

Jay Kamdar - Director of Projects

Project Manager: Jay Kamdar

Headshot of Kaila James

Project Planner: Kaila James

Have a project idea or a project question? We would love to hear it or help you! Just fill out the form below.