New Earth:
Rocket Revolution

New Earth:
Rocket Revolution

New Earth:
Rocket Revolution

New Earth was a global Minecraft challenge that ran from October 4th to 10th, 2026 as part of World Space Week 2026. Over 2,000 students from more than 50 schools and teams in 17 countries came together in one shared Minecraft world, from the Middle East and Europe to Africa, Australia, Asia and the Americas.

Built a rocket on Earth. Landed it on Mars. Built a home there, together.

Built a rocket on Earth. Landed it on Mars. Built a home there, together.

Part of World Space Week 2026. Run by STEMAIVERSE with Apex Hosting, the Space Prize Foundation and SWIFT (the Space Workforce Incubator for Texas).

On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.
On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.
On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.
On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.
On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.
On Earth, every student claimed their own plot and designed a rocket around a real payload problem: what do you need to take with you to build a new home on another planet? Midweek, the whole world moved to Mars, where students built a habitat together with what they had packed.

By the numbers

2,000+

students registered

50+

schools and teams

17

countries joined

1

shared Minecraft world

7 days

of working together

How the week went

How the week went

How the week went

All times US-Central

The practice world.

Sunday, October 4th, 5pm, to Wednesday, October 7th, 9pm. Each student got their own plot to design and build a rocket.

Landing day.

Thursday, October 8th. The rockets arrived on Mars, and students rested before the final build.

The final collaboration.

Thursday, October 8th, 9pm, to Friday, October 9th, 9pm. The Mars world stayed open for 24 hours so every time zone could take part, and every student joined it to build a habitat together.

Photos from schools

Students at Elementary School Ivo Lola Ribar, Serbia, with the rockets they made for World Space Week.

Paper rockets from Elementary School Ivo Lola Ribar, Serbia.

A teacher and students at Elementary School Ivo Lola Ribar, Serbia.

Students at Firststeps World School, Chandigarh, India, in the computer lab.

Firststeps World School students building in New Earth.

Students at Technological High School No. 1 Fundulea, Romania.

Rocket drawings from World Space Week at Fundulea, Romania.

A Mars model made by students in Fundulea, Romania.

A student-built rocket from Zahrat Al-Sahraa International School, Jeddah.

Safety comes first

Safety comes first

Students were registered by a teacher or parent, never by themselves, and every student had a parent’s or school’s permission before they joined. The world ran on a private server hosted by Apex Hosting, and only registered players could get in.

Safety comes first

Students were registered by a teacher or parent, never by themselves, and every student had a parent’s or school’s permission before they joined. The world ran on a private server hosted by Apex Hosting, and only registered players could get in.

Every student is recognised

Every student is recognised

Students from different countries, languages and age groups were building side by side in the same world. Schools ran New Earth in class with their own teachers, and every student received a certificate of participation.

NB: Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang Synergies AB. New Earth is not an official Minecraft product and is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft.

Every student is recognised

Students from different countries, languages and age groups were building side by side in the same world. Schools ran New Earth in class with their own teachers, and every student received a certificate of participation.

NB: Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang Synergies AB. New Earth is not an official Minecraft product and is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft.

Students building Mars habitats during New Earth, May 2025. Photos: STEMAIVERSE.

Students building Mars habitats during New Earth, May 2025. Photos: STEMAIVERSE.

What teachers said

  • “New Earth brought STEM to life for my students through creativity, teamwork and problem-solving. Building rockets and planning for life on Mars made learning exciting, while having two of their rockets recognized gave them a real sense of pride and confidence in their ideas.”

    Zahrat Al-Sahraa International School, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

  • “It was an experience that brought us closer together and helped us understand that change begins with each of us.”

    Technological High School No. 1 Fundulea, Romania

  • “For my class, New Earth meant imagining a better future, protecting our planet, and working together to create a sustainable world.”

    TED Konya Koleji, Türkiye

  • “It is a good opportunity for our learners to collaborate with other learners around the world.”

    International School of Lusaka, Zambia

  • “Socializing through space week activities and getting involved in an international project is a source of pride for our school.”

    Elementary School Ivo Lola Ribar, Skobalj, Serbia

What students said

  • “I really enjoyed designing my rocket! It was so much fun, and I loved using my imagination to create something special. I felt like a little astronaut!”

    Student, STREAMS Academy International, Pakistan

  • “If we find aliens, we’ll ask them if they get holidays too!”

    Student, Technological High School No. 1 Fundulea, Romania

See last year's build: "6 Continents, 1 Problem, 1 Solution" (91 seconds).

See last year's build: "6 Continents, 1 Problem, 1 Solution" (91 seconds).

Stay tuned for our next event…