SPACE PRIZE riyadh - kingdom of saudi arabia CHALLENGE
Empowering young people to participate in the growing space economy.
Hands-On Space: Explore STEMAIVERSE Camps
Hands-On Space: Explore STEMAIVERSE Camps
Hands-On Space: Explore STEMAIVERSE Camps
Immersive, hands-on learning experiences in fields like AI, Robotics, and Space Exploration. Focus on the immersive nature of the experience rather than specific dates/times until the user provides that info.
What is Space Prize Challenge Riyadh?
In its largest Challenge yet, the Space Prize Foundation will select 7 high school age young adults to participate in a Space Camp at the TBD in Riyadh in partnership with STEMAiVerse Camps. The program will take place over three days during the July, 2026.
Over the course of three days, students will hear from astronauts, learn various STEM skills from scientists and award-winning STEM educators. They will work in teams to build a viable CubeSat!
ALL spots for the The space prize SPACE CAMP are selected by the school.
Please contact liftoff@spaceprize.org if you are interesTed in a participating.
Timeline
Applications will open in March, 2026.
Open until May, 25th, 2026 .
Week of July 14th, 2026: Space Camp TBD
judges and mentors coming soon
FAQ
Student applications:
Who is eligible to apply? The Space Prize Innovator Challenge in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is open to girls and boys aged 12–18. Participating schools will nominate students who have expressed a keen interest in space and have engaged with key aspects of the Space Prize curriculum. The intention of our program is to provide these young people with unprecedented access to a diverse group of industry professionals and mentors. Our goal is to foster an inclusive environment that promotes diversity of thought and community, inspiring the next generation of leaders to shape the future of the global space industry.
What is the student application process? Round 1 essays are submitted through the Round 1 Student Application Link. Submissions will be evaluated by a team of judges and certain students will be asked to submit a Round 2 video. Judges will select 150 students to participate in Space Camp based on their Round 1 and Round 2 submissions.
Round 1 applications are open on a rolling basis and will close when all spaces have been filled.
Round 2 applications are currently open and will close when all spaces have been filled.
PLEASE APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SEATS ARE LIMITED. APPLCIATIONS WILL CLOSE WHEN ALL SEATS HAVE BEEN FILLED.
Student nominations:
What is the student nomination process? Formal nominations are closed but we urge nominators to encourage students to apply using the Round 1 Student Application Link.
How many students can each nominator nominate? Unlimited.
If I nominate a student from outside of the NYC area and she is accepted, can I sponsor her travel to ensure her spot? Absolutely. Please reach out us at liftoff- kim@spaceprize.org - for information related to travel sponsorships.
Judging:
Who are the judges? The essays will be judged by a panel of experts from the space industry, academia, and media.
How are essays judged? The criteria for judging the essays are relevance to the theme, originality and creativity, clarity and coherence, grammar and spelling, length compliance (maximum 1000 words).
Winner announcement:
When will the Space Camp invitees be announced? Space Camp invitees will be invited via email on a rolling basis as applications are accepted. The two winning teams of the CubeSat Challenge will be announced on 10/18/2024 on the essay competition website and social media channels. These 10 students will also be contacted by email and phone.
Space Camp:
What is Starlight Education? Starlight Education has extensive experience creating high-impact, life-changing courses for students and teachers around the globe. Focus areas / programs include STEM Courses, English Courses, CSR Programs, Sustainability Courses, Custom Courses, and Teacher Professional Development.
What’s a CubeSat? CubeSats are miniaturized box-shaped satellites that are mainly launched into low Earth orbit to observe the Earth, test new communications technology or perform miniature experiments.
How long is Space Camp? Three days. Monday October 14th - Wednesday, October 16th.
Where is Space Camp? The Intrepid Museum in New York City.
Logistics:
How will I get to and from the Intrepid? Space Prize will coordinate ground transportation to and from The Intrepid on each camp day.
If I win, how will I get to the CubeSat launch site? Bus transportation to and from the launch site will be provided.
Is there support for traveling to the event?
Greater NYC Area: All travel costs are covered for students attending from the greater NYC area.
Non-Local US Students: A limited number of travel grants will be available for US students traveling from outside of the area.
International Students: Airfare will not be included, however, a limited number of grants may be available for travel and accommodation within the US. International students and nominators should notify Space Prize of their ability to cover airfare to the US.
Will I have to miss school? Yes. Space Prize will provide a form asking permission for accepted students to be excused from school during their days at Space Camp. The Foundation strongly encourages students to seek permission from schools but is ultimately not responsible for missed coursework should students decide to attend the Camp without permission from their school.
Additional information:
Where can I find more information about the essay competition? You can find more information about the essay competition on the essay competition website. You can also contact us by email at liftoff@spaceprize.org. We look forward to receiving your essays!
Our educators
Dr. Maryam Sani
Executive directorDr. Sani brings over 30 years of STEM expertise to the Space Prize Foundation. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an EdTech pioneer, she has a history of building bridges between the Middle East and global centers of excellence, including pioneering initiatives at MIT for Saudi female students and at the CubeSat Challenge in New York at the Intrepid Museum. A leading voice in women’s representation in STEM, having authored a PhD on female STEM career paths in KSA. Her work ensures that the Space Prize is not just a competition, but a world-class educational pipeline.
lead educatorDamien Aldridge
Damien Aldridge is an award-winning STEM educator, program designer, and founder of STEMAIVERSE and Space Quest LLC. His work focuses on preparing students for future careers in Space, AI, and emerging technologies through immersive learning experiences.
With more than 15 years of experience delivering STEM and Space programs across the United States, Middle East, Europe, and Asia, Damien designs large-scale initiatives that combine engineering, design thinking, artificial intelligence, and real-world problem solving. His programs connect students with universities, industry partners, and global peers, while building practical skills in collaboration, communication, and innovation.
Damien is the creator and lead educator behind programs including Occupy Mars, Mission: RedCode, and The New Earth Project. These initiatives challenge students to design solutions for life on Mars, sustainable cities, and future planetary systems using physical STEM tools alongside virtual and metaverse environments.
Feedback from our nyc cubesat challenge:
I thought it was good. On the website, it said that our satellites would be launched, though. It was a cool experience, and I'm glad that I attended.
StudentMy expectations were exceeded and my experience was great, learning about space and making a CubeSat was definitely something I’ll never forget and something that had a great impact on me
StudentI’m not exactly sure what my expectations were before the camp, but I can definitely say whatever they were, they were met. The experience was amazing! I’m not necessarily into space, yet, communicating with different people from all types of backgrounds, getting insightful feedback from NASA astronauts and being in the position to build a cube-sat, which I have never done before, has definitely opened my eyes to a new world that I was definitely missing out on. I would say the experience has left me very interested to learn more about space and to introduce this program to my friends who may not have known too much about it before this workshop, like me.
Student
