About

A space probe is a spacecraft built to explore our solar system and beyond. Space probes are equipped with scientific instruments such as sensors and cameras, as well as antennas, solar panels, thrusters, batteries, and fuel; but they are unmanned, they do not have human passengers. Space probes are designed to travel through interplanetary space to flyby, orbit, and observe the Sun, the planets, and other bodies such as moons, asteroids, or comets. Some space probes may even land on their targets to collect samples to return to Earth. Most of what we know about our solar system is thanks to the data from space probes that we have sent up since the 1960s.
 

Your task

Design a space probe to explore the foreign bodies (that is, planets, moons, asteroids, or comets, and so forth) of our solar system beyond planet Earth. You should decide what your space probe will explore, what you intend to discover, and the instruments that your space probe will contain. Consider how your space probe will be deployed, and how it will journey through space. Build a full-size or small-scale model of your robotic space probe to demonstrate it, along with a specifications sheet that describes your space probe and its instruments in detail. Work on this project in a team with a group of your classmates.
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The design thinking stages

Follow the five design thinking stages to ensure that you think of everything and do everything necessary in order to succeed in your design project. First, you must UNDERSTAND the design topic and the needs of the users. With that understanding, you can DECIDE what is important to your design solution and what is not so important. Then you CREATE to come up with ideas and improve them. Then you BUILD your chosen design idea in a physical form and improve it through trial-and-error. Finally, you TEST your built design idea to get the opinions of users. ​​​​​​​Use the methods from the Design Thinking for Schools website as you follow the design thinking stages.
 

Note for teachers

​​​​​​​Read the guide for teachers on Safety for the BUILD Stage for Level III to safely supervise this design project.