We are looking for a very special mascot for Hypatia III, will you help us?
We are preparing an experimental parabolic flights campaign and we need a zero gravity indicator. What is its role? While the airplane is doing a parabola and enters microgravity, the mascot will start floating in the cabin, indicating us that we have reached zero gravity.
But this is only the beginning of the mascot’s journey! The winning design will become the official symbol of Hypatia III‘s crew, and will travel with us to the Arctic in the summer of 2027.
Analog Missions and Parabolic Flights
Hypatia Mars is composed of female scientists who study what it would be like to live on Mars. They carry missions in remote areas on Earth like the deserts of Utah or the Arctic. These expeditions, named analog missions, simulate life and work conditions on the Moon or Mars. This time, Hypatia III will carry out experiments on an airplane that generates a few seconds of “zero gravity”! In collaboration with Universitat Politènica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC), Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) and Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell, we will take our research one step further this 2026, through a parabolic flights campaign from Sabadell’s Airport. During the flights, an airplane will perform special manoeuvres to achieve a few seconds of microgravity, where the crew of Hypatia III will carry out scientific experiments with top national and international researchers from Birkbeck, University of London and the csmicroglab from UPC.
The Challenge: Our Zero Gravity Indicator
During the parabolic flights campaign, we need a very special mascot: a zero gravity indicator (ZGI). The role is key: when the airplane is performing a parabola and we reach weightlessness, the mascot will start floating inside the airplane’s cabin, visually indicating that we are in zero gravity. This mascot will not only fly but it will also become the official mascot of Hypatia III’s crew, traveling with them to the Arctic Mission in the summer of 2027.
How does the competition work?
- You must be between 6 and 12 years old. You can participate individually or as a team.
- Make a drawing (by hand or digitally) of your proposal showing how you think the Hypatia III mascot should look like.
- Think of a name for the mascot!
- Write a short description of why your design represents the Hypatia III mission.
- Submit your proposal through this website before April 15th.
- The Hypatia III crew will select the 3 best designs based on their originality and technical feasibility.
- The winning mascot will be 3D printed and will be part of both: the parabolic flights and during the Arctic analog mission with the Hypatia III crew.
What is the prize?
- The winning mascot will become a reality and will be part of the experiments and the Hypatia III mission.
- The winner will have the unique opportunity to attend the preparation of the parabolic flights and meet the Hypatia scientists at the Sabadell Airport.
- The winner will receive an official certificate of space collaboration, the 3D-printed mascot, and their design will be published on the official websites and social media networks of UPC, IEEC and Hypatia Mars.
Contest Rules
Open here to view the contest rules.
- Who can participate? The contest is open to primary school youth (6 to 12 years old) eager to see their design flying to space (or almost!).
- Submission Requirements
- The format: The drawing can be done by hand or digitally and it must be submitted in JPG, PNG or PDF format. Don’t forget to include a unique name!
- Brief description: Why does your design represent the Hypatia III mission? Maximum 100 words.
- The design: You only need to submit a drawing! The researchers from Hypatia Mars will transform the winning design into a 3D mascot using 3D printing techniques.
- Timeline
- March 15: Competition announcement and submission website open.
- March 15 to April 15: Design submission window.
- April 20 to 26: Public voting to choose the winner among the selected finalists.
- April 30: Winning design announcement.
- May: Parabolic flights campaign at Sabadell’s Airport.
- Selection and Prizes
- The process: First, the Hypatia III crew will select the top 3 designs, based on creativity and technical viability. Following this preliminary selection, a public vote through this website will open to select the final winner that will represent the crew out of the 3 proposals.
- The VIP award: The winner will have a chance to attend the parabolic flights preparation, see the airplane and meet the scientists at Sabadell Airport*. (*Hypatia will not be responsible for covering the costs to the Sabadell airport)
- Prizes: a space collaborator official certificate, the 3D printed mascot and publication of the design on the websites and social media channels of UPC, IEEC and Hypatia Mars.
- How to participate
- Prepare your design and submit it through the form in this website. If you have two designs, please submit the form twice. Remember the design has to be submitted by your parents, legal guardians or teachers.
- Requirements
- Participation can be individual or as a team.
- Participants must be 6 to 12 years old at the time of submission.
- You can submit a maximum of 2 designs per person or team.
- The file cannot exceed 10MB and must be one of the following formats: JPG, PNG or PDF.
- The design must be done on a white background (avoid square grids, additional background drawings or other colors).
- Avoid having floating parts in your design, everything must be one continuous drawing (for example, don’t draw a light bulb floating over a head).
- Every submission must have a name and a brief description detailing why it represents the Hypatia III mission, in no more than 100 words.
Organizers and Collaborators
- Hypatia Mars: Hypatia Mars is a women-led organisation dedicated to advancing space research and science outreach, with the goal of highlighting female talent and inspiring future generations.
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC): UPC is a public university specialised in engineering, architecture, science and technology. It is well known for their higher education and high level research, as well as international knowledge transfer. UPC’s csmicroglab will carry out an experiment in human physiology.
- Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC): IEEC is a leading research center in space sciences, specialized in the fields of astrophysics and cosmology, Earth observation, navigation, and space technology. It promotes the development of space-related activities in Catalonia in the areas of education, research, and innovation.
- Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell: Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell is an organisation committed to pilot training and outreach of sport and private aviation. Based at Sabadell Airport, they offer pilot courses, aerial activities and other services related to aviation.
- Birkbeck College: Birkbeck, University of London is a public university specialised in social sciences, humanities and life sciences. It is part of the University of London and it is well-known for its research activities. Birkbeck’s “Vestibular x Space Neuroscience” laboratory will be carrying out a cognitive system experiment during this campaign.
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