Mission patch competition 2025
Australian schools are invited to enter students in the Mission Patch Art Competition for the 76th International Astronautical Congress 2025 in Sydney.
NSW Department of Education, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), and the Australian Virtual Astronaut (AVA) invite all NSW primary and secondary students to take part in an exciting challenge, the IAC 2025 Mission Patch Art Competition.
This challenge celebrates student imagination, cultural identity, and storytelling through the design of symbolic space mission patches that reflect the theme ‘Sustainable Space : Resilient Earth.
Patch design
All entries must be:
- independent and original student work
- created to fit within an 80 mm x 80 mm (patch template provided)
- hand-drawn and coloured using common art materials (such as pencil, pen, markers, paint).
When developing your patch, refer to the marking criteria rubric, and aim to:
- connect with the theme ‘Sustainable Space : Resilient Earth’
- create an imaginative and meaningful design that represents a clear idea and communicates a compelling story or concept through the design and imagery
- reflect aspects of Australian culture, environment, or identity
- include a reference to specific Australian-made technology, satellite programs, rover development or symbols representing Australia’s contributions to international space missions (past, present, or future).
Registration and submission information
Each school may only submit one entry. Schools are encouraged to run their own competition to select the school's mission patch entry.
Registration and submission must be done by an adult educator on behalf of the school and student. The submission must be clearly labelled with the student's name, age, and the school’s details.
Registration
Registration is now open. Register your school's participation in the competition by completing the Mission Patch Art competition form.
Submission of design
Following your school's registration, submission information will be emailed to the registered educator.
Submissions will open on Monday 28 July 2025 (Term 3, Week 2) and all entries must be submitted by Friday 29 August 2025 (Term 3 Week 6).
Finalists showcase
Selected student designs will be showcased at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Darling Harbour, Sydney, as part of the official IAC exhibition on the Public Day, Friday 3 October 2025. Attending astronauts, VIP guests and visiting delegates will have the opportunity to view the showcased 50 mission patches and awarded ribbons of recognition to the top 10 outstanding submissions.
Finalists will have the exclusive opportunity to participate in a meet-and-greet with astronauts, organised in collaboration with the Australian Space Agency. The top 50 mission patch submissions will receive certificates and will be featured publicly at IAC 2025, as well as showcased through various media channels.