Registration is now open for the European Astro Pi Challenge 2024/25! The Astro Pi Challenge, an ESA Education project run in collaboration with us here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, offers young people the incredible opportunity to write computer programs that will run in space.
Young people can take part in two exciting missions for beginners and more experienced coders, and send their code to run on special Raspberry Pi computers, called Astro Pis, on board the International Space Station (ISS).
Meet the new Astro Pi ambassador, Sławosz Uznański
We are delighted that new ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański will be the ambassador for this year’s Astro Pi Challenge. Sławosz, born in Poland in 1984, has a background in space systems engineering and has conducted research in radiation effects. He recently served as the Engineer in Charge of CERN’s largest accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider.
Mission Zero: Send your pixel art into space
In Mission Zero, young people create beautiful pixel art to display on the Astro Pis’ LED screens. This mission requires no prior experience of Python coding, and it can be completed in around an hour.
To take part, young people design and code pixel art inspired by nature on Earth and beyond, to display on the Astro Pi computers for the astronauts on the ISS to see as they go about their daily tasks.
Using our step-by-step Mission Zero project guide, young people will learn to create simple Python programs in which they will code with variables and use the colour sensors on the Astro Pis to change the background colour in their images. To help your teams create their designs, check out the examples from teams that took part in Mission Zero in 2023/24 in the project guide.
Young people can create their Mission Zero programs individually or in teams of up to 4 people, and this year, we have added a save function for young people as they code. This will make it easier for mentors to run Mission Zero over more than one session, and also means that young people can finish their projects at home. They will need to use your classroom code and their team name to load their saved projects.
Mission Space Lab: Calculate the speed of the ISS
Mission Space Lab asks teams to solve a real-world scientific task in space. It is ideally suited to young people who would like to learn more about space science and stretch their programming skills.
In Mission Space Lab this year, the task for teams of 2 to 6 young people is to calculate the speed at which the International Space Station is travelling — as accurately as possible. Teams need to write a Python program that:
- Collects data from the Astro Pi computers’ sensors or cameras about the orientation and motion of the ISS as it orbits the Earth, and
- Uses this data to calculate the travel speed
This year we have created a new way for teams to test their programs, with an online version of the Astro Pi Replay tool. All teams need to do is select their program and run it in Astro Pi Replay, which will create a real-time simulation of the program running on the ISS, using historical data and images. Astro Pi Replay will also show program outputs and report errors. This means teams can code their program in their preferred code editor, then test with an internet browser. However, if they wish, teams can still run the Astro Pi Replay tool offline with Thonny.
Important dates for your diary
- 16 September 2024: Registration is now open for Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab!
- 24 February 2025: Mission Space Lab submissions close
- 24 March 2025: Mission Zero submissions close
- April–May 2025: Astro Pi programs run on the International Space Station
- June 2025: Astro Pi teams receive their certificates
Register today
Both missions are open to young people up to age 19 from eligible countries — all ESA Member States and beyond. To find out more and register, visit astro-pi.org.
Look out for updates and resources being shared on the Astro Pi website, including a Mission Zero video codealong and Mission Space Lab live streams. You can also keep up-to-date with all the Astro Pi news on the Astro Pi X account, our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, or by signing up to the newsletter at astro-pi.org.
We can’t wait to see your programs!
Website: LINK
