OrbyteCraft: Hands-on Space Engineering workshops for pupils

Immerse secondary school students (14+) in real-world space engineering, from designing missions to building ground stations and analysing satellite data.

Discover the workshops

Why OrbyteCraft works

Student-led missions

Students design their own sustainable space missions from scratch, every cohort creates something unique.

Real engineering process

Designing, building, and operating, mirroring actual space engineering workflows in simplified format.

Expert mentorship

SpaSys, Scienteens Lab, and ESERO provide real-world insights and guided instruction throughout.

The 3 workshops

Can be delivered independently, no prior knowledge or programming skills required.

Students are introduced to the core concepts of space mission design in an engaging and interactive way. They will explore different mission ideas, select orbits, understand spacecraft subsystems, and consider sustainable end-of-life strategies for satellites. Activities include discussions, interactive simulations, and conceptual 3D modelling of satellite subsystems. Students will also practise the scientific method by hypothesising mission needs, testing subsystem choices, and evaluating trade-offs.

This workshop takes about 5-6 hours.

This hands-on workshop focuses on building and integrating a satellite model. Students will work with simplified electronics components inspired by real satellite systems, learning how each subsystem works and how to assemble them into a functional whole. Participants will also be introduced to block-based programming and satellite component control, offering a practical view of the full engineering process.

This is a four-day workshop currently planned for 17–20 August 2026.

Students will build a simple ground station and explore how satellites communicate with Earth, how data is transferred and received, and how to interpret that information. They will experiment with detecting signals from publicly available satellites and turning this data into practical insights. This workshop offers students a taste of real-life satellite operations and data analysis, and includes a dedicated session for teachers, equipping them to build ground stations alongside their students.

This workshop takes around 3 to 4 hours.