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CompetitionAstro Pi Challenge (Raspberry Pi Foundation with ESA Education)

Astro Pi Mission Space Lab 2026/27

Teams design an experiment in Python that gathers real sensor data on the International Space Station using the Astro Pi computers. It suits students who have outgrown beginner coding challenges.

By the Born to Engineer editorial team Checked

At a glance

Run by
Astro Pi Challenge (Raspberry Pi Foundation with ESA Education)
Who it’s for
Teams of 2 to 6 young people aged 19 and under, supervised by a mentor, with some basic coding experience (recommended ages 12 to 19)[1]
Entry
Students or a school can enter
Worth
A ten-minute flight slot on the ISS for the team's program, plus certificates and the data collected[2]
Cost
Free
Year groups
Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12, Year 13
Where
UK-wide
Format
Online
Dates
to

Sources

3 sources

  1. Astro Pi Challenge

    Mission Space Lab

    designed for young people who have some basic coding experience.

    Checked 23 October 2026

  2. Raspberry Pi Foundation

    Launching Astro Pi 2026/27

    a ten-minute flight slot on the ISS.

    Checked 23 October 2026

  3. Astro Pi Challenge

    Mission Space Lab

    Registration is open from Monday 14 September 2026 to Monday 22 February 2027, 12:00 CET.

    Checked 23 October 2026

Details checked by the Born to Engineer editorial team. Always confirm dates on the provider’s site before applying.

Apply by

Registration open 14 September 2026 to 22 February 2027, 12:00 CET. Programs run on the ISS April to May 2027[3]

Apply on astro-pi.org (opens in a new tab)

More competition opportunities

All opportunities

Sentinus Young Innovators 2026 (Young Engineer of the Year)

Closes in 7 days

CompetitionSentinus

Students choose a Sentinus engineering challenge (Retrofit Revolution, Flood Futures or Smart Streets) or their own idea and submit an online poster. Finalists are invited to Belfast to be judged by industry experts.

Worth
£1,000 for each category winner. The overall Sentinus Young Innovator wins a funded trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair 2027 in the USA, plus an accelerator programme and industry links.
Who
Individuals or teams of up to 3 for the Young Engineer category (there are also Young Scientist, Young Mathematician and Young Coder categories). Applicants must be aged under 19 on 1 July 2027.
Entry
Students or a school can enter
Deadline
Registrations close 31 October 2026. Online poster submission by 6 November 2026. Live finals on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Ulster University, Belfast.

Visit sentinus.co.uk (opens in a new tab)Details: Sentinus Young Innovators 2026 (Young Engineer of the Year)

Davidson Inventors Challenge 2026/27

Closes in 8 days

CompetitionUniversity of Cambridge Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, with IChemE

Teams pick a UN Sustainable Development Goal, research a real problem and propose a sustainable, innovative engineering solution. Each team gets a mentor and the process runs from November to a final in April.

Worth
An expert mentor for each team, webinars, and for the winners a cash prize, a trophy and a day at the department.
Who
Teams of Year 11 and Year 12 students from UK schools. Maximum of two submissions per school; up to 100 projects selected.
Entry
A teacher or school enters
Deadline
Team sign-up and initial project outline by 1 November 2026. Final reports mid March 2027, shortlisted teams announced early April, final at the Cambridge department in late April 2027.

Visit ceb.cam.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)Details: Davidson Inventors Challenge 2026/27

QEPrize Create the Trophy 2027

Closes in 34 days

CompetitionQueen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation

Design the trophy for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering using a free 3D design app and submit it online. The winning design is 3D printed and presented to the prize winners in London.

Worth
A high-end laptop, a model of the winning trophy, and a trip to London to see the 3D printed design presented to the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering winners.
Who
Anyone aged 14 to 24 on 27 November 2026 (UK students can enter). Entry is individual, via the free QEPrize 3D Design Studio app.
Entry
Students apply themselves
Deadline
Entries opened on 1 September 2026. Closing date is 23:59 GMT on 27 November 2026.

Visit qeprize.org (opens in a new tab)Details: QEPrize Create the Trophy 2027