Are You a 7th or 8th Grader?
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) & the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee (SSTC) invite you to participate in the 2026 SSTC Student Essay Contest!
In This Section
REQUIREMENTS
- Typewritten essay, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, in 1,000 words or less
- Include your selected images within your essay document, in line with your text
- The use of Artificial Intelligence for text generation and improving language is strictly disallowed
- Include student name, teacher name, grade, and school name in your submission
- Reach out to your local section officer for essay submission instructions
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Originality of ideas presented (30%)
- Soundness of logic used to develop ideas (30%)
- Realism of ideas presented (20%)
- Quality of composition & clarity of expression (20%)
ELIGIBILITY
Any seventh or eighth grader (or equivalent). Please contact your local section officers to confirm they will be accepting entries. For local sections not participating, you may submit to “at-large” through Jeff Puschell
DEADLINE
1 May 2026 – AIAA Local Section Contest Deadline
15 May 2026 – National Contest Deadline to submit top local section essay (limit to one per grade)
National winners and their teachers will be notified by the end of June 2026.
NATIONAL PRIZES
- 1st place will be awarded $125
- 2nd place will be awarded $75
- 3rd place will be awarded $50.
Winners are publicly announced in the Fall 2026 issue of Aerospace America magazine.
Space Debris In Earth Orbit. | Credit: NASA; iStock–©