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Building the Future: SteamRocket Takes on Lunar Habitat Challenge


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We're thrilled to announce that we've been awarded a grant from the California Space Grant Consortium to participate in the Institute for Competition Sciences' Build the Moon Challenge for 2025! This exciting opportunity allows us to continue our mission of bringing cutting-edge science experiences directly to young people throughout the Valley.


Through the Build the Moon Challenge, participants will work with lunar regolith simulant, a specially engineered material that mimics the properties of actual lunar soil found on the Moon's surface. They'll experiment with this lunar material to develop concrete mixtures and test their strength, ultimately using their findings to design lunar habitats for future long-duration missions to the Moon's surface. This process, known as In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), represents real techniques that future space missions will use to build infrastructure on the Moon using materials found there.


"We're excited to bring this incredible opportunity to the kids in the Valley," said Elle Decker, Co-Founder of SteamRocket. "It's pretty cool to let kids literally hold lunar soil simulant in their hands and imagine themselves as the engineers and scientists who will build humanity's future on the Moon."


This latest venture builds on our successful partnership with the Institute for Competition Sciences. In 2023, we participated in ICS's Plant Mars Challenge, where we experimented with simulated Martian soil to grow pea seeds. Although our attempt with mycorrhizal fungi proved challenging when it overtook the plants by week six, the experience provided valuable learning opportunities that we shared with over 100 families across the Valley through hands-on workshops.


"Our Mars challenge taught us so much about resilience and the scientific process," explained Justin Decker, Co-Founder of SteamRocket. "Now we get to take that experience and apply it to an entirely new challenge. We can't wait to see what creative solutions our Valley's young minds will develop for living and working on the Moon."


Since launching in 2022, we've established ourselves as pioneers in bringing innovative STEAM programming to the Coachella Valley. We created the Valley's first Minecraft Coding Club and LEGO Robotics Club, while also developing our Learning Lab program that brings workshops directly to libraries, recreation centers, and other community spaces. Thanks to grant funding, generous donors, and strong community support, we're able to offer all our programs at no cost or at a low cost, ensuring that financial barriers don't prevent any young person from participating.


The California Space Grant Consortium, which awarded us the grant, serves as California's implementation arm of NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, supporting aerospace-related activities from pre-college through university levels. This funding will enable us to provide materials, equipment, and programming necessary to engage local youth in authentic space science research.


The Institute for Competition Sciences, founded in 2012, works to transform learning into exciting challenges for students, helping them realize their full potential through academic competitions. Their space-themed challenges give participants hands-on experience with real scientific problems that NASA and other space agencies are actively working to solve.


While we're still finalizing specific workshop dates and registration details, we expect to begin Build the Moon Challenge activities in the coming weeks. Families interested in participating should stay tuned to our social media channels and website for signup information.


“We see kids engaged and curious when we offer these programs,” said Elle Decker. “They begin to picture themselves as scientists, engineers, and explorers, and this is exactly what we hoped to spark when we started SteamRocket.”


The Build the Moon Challenge represents another step forward in our ongoing effort to ensure that all Coachella Valley youth have access to high-quality STEAM education, regardless of their background or economic circumstances. By participating in cutting-edge research challenges, local students gain exposure to career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.


For more information about upcoming programs and registration details, follow us on social media or visit our website in the coming weeks. Don't hesitate to get in touch with crystal@steamrocket.co for more details.


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