The StellarXplorers National Space Design Competition requires an adult to register as a Team Director before any students are permitted to compete. Having only one adult Team Director of record for each team is a non-negotiable requirement. An adult may serve as Team Director for up to five teams and is responsible for the proper supervision of all their teams during all competition-related activities. The Team Directors retain the authority and responsibility to control their teams, including access to other people. The Team Director is the ultimate authority concerning who works with their team. A Team Director may assist other teams only as a registered Mentor or Team Assistant.
STLX IX Finals is planned to be in-person, and it will tentatively be hosted at Space Center Houston, TX.
Before proceeding to the StellarXplorers portal for STLX IX, we ask that you take a moment to fully review the contents of this page, especially the instructions on how to navigate our registration system. Team directors, regardless of previous participation in the competition, you will need to create a StellarXplorers Portal account to proceed with registration.
All students may compete provided the team is fielded by one of the organizations below. Although intended primarily for high school-aged students, other ages may compete on an equal basis. There is no limit on the number of teams that an organization can field. Teams consist of 2-6 competitors per team. Please refer to the Rules Book for more information regarding Composite Teams or other organizations.
Team Directors are not required to have prior experience with the competition, nor do Team Directors need to have experience with STK or orbital mechanics to serve in the role. The competition focuses on the problem-solving side of space system design and less on advanced physics or equations.
Before a Team Director can officially serve in the role, they must be vetted and approved to work with minors by Verification Officials – these are usually school officials or individual supervisors. For more information on the verification process, please review the Rules Book.
Starting up a student organization can be challenging, but it is important to keep your goals realistic and start small. Once you have a strong foundation with one or two teams, you can continue to expand your organization! Since teams are composed of 2 to 6 competitors per team, you do not need many people to get started.
TDs only need to register their organization (school, CAP unit, etc) one time.
All TDs must register their teams for through the one-time link, regardless of previous participation in the competition.
Once the organization is initially registered for the StellarXplorers National Space Design Competition season, TDs can ADD and EDIT 1-5 teams using the procedures found above and listed in the portal..
$200 for 1st high school team, $100 for 2nd high school team, no fee registration for 3rd, 4th and 5th high school teams
After you Register your Organization and and Team/s, you will be given a balance based on $200 per registered team. Please DO NOT pay on the Registration Form. You will be provided an Invoice by StellarXplorers requesting payment shortly after you register via email for the correct amount based on early registration, Title I &/or Service Team/s Discount, and/or # of Teams Registered.
After receipt of Invoice, payment must be made by November 15, 2022 (we accept payment by purchase order, check, credit card)
Teams created in the registration system with TD verification before August 1, 2022 receive a 20% discount (discounted rate is locked-in with final payment still due by Nov. 15)
Fees waived upon request for Title I School (must provide proof of status – e.g. signed letter from school administrator)
Fees automatically waived for JROTC, Civil Air Patrol, and Naval Sea Cadet Corps teams
Join the StellarXplorers National Space Design Competition today!