Science

The Gap SHS Reaches New Heights in National Space Challenge

The Gap State High School is celebrating an outstanding achievement after our Year 9 STEM students claimed victory in the 2026 Launchbox Space Satellite Challenge, a national competition that showcased innovation, engineering and scientific problem-solving.

As part of the Launchbox program, students were provided with RASCube-LB satellite kits developed by Robinson Aerospace Engineering. Throughout the project, teams designed, built, tested and refined miniature satellites, applying their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to solve authentic aerospace challenges.

Competing against more than 260 teams from schools across Australia, The Gap SHS delivered an exceptional performance, with two teams finishing in the national top 10. Team Orbital Minds achieved an impressive 4th place, while The Ground Control Crew were crowned the overall national champions.

The winning team—Casey Simon, Jack Dolan and Shrivant Malviya—also received the prestigious Science Communication Award, recognising their outstanding documentation of scientific processes and their ability to effectively communicate their investigation, testing and design decisions throughout the project.

As national champions, The Ground Control Crew's satellite earned the unique opportunity to be launched into the stratosphere aboard a weather balloon in South Australia. Reaching an altitude of approximately 29,000 metres, the satellite collected valuable data before the balloon completed a controlled descent back to Earth.

The team's success was recognised with championship trophies, Fleet Space Technologies prize bags, and an exclusive live Q&A session with Australian of the Year and space pioneer Katherine Bennell-Pegg, providing students with an inspiring opportunity to learn from one of Australia's leading figures in the space industry.

This remarkable achievement reflects the dedication, creativity and perseverance of our Year 9 STEM students and highlights the strength of STEM education at The Gap State High School. Congratulations to all students who participated and represented our school with such distinction.