Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
STATE
DA VINCI DECATHLON 2021
CELEBRATING THE ACADEMIC GIFTS OF STUDENTS
IN YEARS 5 & 6
ENGINEERING
TEAM NUMBER _____________
Question Design Total Rank
Booklet Model
/15 /30 /40
1
Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
SPACEFLIGHT:
A GAME OF CHANCE
BACKGROUND
Romanticised as “conquering the final frontier”, the marvels of
spaceflight have captured the intrigue and imagination of
generations. From Kennedy’s impassioned 1961 speech, “We
choose to go to the moon”, to Neil Armstrong’s broadcast of “One
small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” from the lunar
surface, humanity has been inspired to push the bounds of
knowledge and technology to forge a deeper understanding of the
universe.
But these achievements did not come without disaster and despair…
NASA Astronaut, Navy Test Pilot and Aeronautical Engineer Lisa
Nowak, encapsulated this, saying “Of course risk is a part of spaceflight. We accept some of
that to achieve greater goals in exploration and find out more about ourselves and the
universe”.
The American-Soviet space race of the 1960’s saw the neglect of
many fundamental engineering principles, such as testing,
prototyping and other safety precautions in an attempt to win the race
and be the first country to land on the moon. In the 60’s going to
space was like rolling a dice. This resulted in the destruction of
spacecraft and the deaths of Astronauts.
Moving further through history, with each new technological
development comes greater challenges and more risks. The
Challenger Space Shuttle disaster in 1986 saw the shuttle explode
73 seconds into its flight, killing all 7 crewmembers on board. This
was the result of a simple technical error in the right rocket booster.
WHAT CAUSES THESE DISASTERS?
NASA has identified the three primary causes of space flight disasters:
• Propulsion system malfunction: rocket boosters produce thrust using a controlled
explosion, which can easily get out of control if the explosive reactants are not
balanced correctly. For example, too much or too little fuel is injected, too much or too
little oxygen is injected etc.
• Extreme heat and cold: outside of earth’s atmosphere, rockets experience extreme
temperature changes. When in direct sunlight, temperatures reach more than 2000
centigrade and less than -250 centigrade when shielded by the earth.
• Cabin depressurisation: as altitude increases the cabin of a spacecraft is put under
extreme pressure. Any fault in the spacecraft’s structure would lead to the rapid escape
of air from the cabin, suffocating its occupants.
2
Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
THE TASK
Your task is to create a spacecraft that solves a problem with spaceflight. Choose ONE of the
three primary causes of disasters outlined above and design a spacecraft that mitigates that
challenge. You must construct a model of your spacecraft out of the materials provided and
answer the design questions to reflect upon your construction. Your spacecraft can, but does
not have to be a rocket. You may choose a winged design like a space shuttle, or devise a
completely new method of space travel. Be sure to consider both preventative and remedial
measure to solve the challenge. Creativity is key, so take a chance on a new idea!
DESIGN PARAMETERS
You will have eighty minutes to create and reflect upon your spacecraft. Your spacecraft
will be marked based on its:
• Ability to solve the challenge you picked,
• Ability to represent your idea (e.g. if your design involves movement, does your
model have moving parts?),
• Creativity and originality,
• Design aesthetics,
• Structural build quality,
• Use of materials.
You will be provided with various materials. It is up to you to decide what materials to use to
construct your spacecraft. The materials available are as follows:
• 6 pieces of A4 paper,
• 2 pieces of A4 cardboard,
• 8 popsicle/ paddle pop sticks,
• 8 plastic straws,
• 100 grams of plasticine,
• 6 elastic bands,
• Your own sticky tape (use sparingly).
Glue and staples are prohibited and will result in disqualification from the task.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
At the conclusion of the task, you will take your spacecraft and question paper to the marking
area. If you are competing virtually, your time to answer the design reflection questions will
cease after the allocated 80 minutes, but you will have an extra 10 minutes upload images
and a video of your spacecraft. The images must capture all angles of your spacecraft and the
video must show the functionality of your spacecraft.
3
Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
DESIGN REFLECTION
QUESTION 1: STATE YOUR CHALLENGE (3 MARKS)
Clearly state which of the three causes of space flight disaster you have chosen. In your own
words, explain why this is a problem and why you have chosen to solve it.
QUESTION 2: EXPLAIN YOURSELF! (4 MARKS)
Outline the elements of your spacecraft design and explain how they solve the problem you
have chosen.
4
Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
QUESTION 3: HOLDING UP A MIRROR… (4 MARKS)
Reflect on your spacecraft’s ability to solve the problem you chose. Identify key flaws in your
design and propose solutions to these challenges.
QUESTION 4: WHAT ABOUT THE REAL WORLD? (4 MARKS)
Critique your design for its viability in the real world. Consider criteria including, but not limited
to technological capability and environmental impact.
END OF PAPER
5
Task developed by Benjamin Bradshaw, St Paul’s College, University of Sydney, 2021
MARKING CRITERIA
QUESTION BOOKLET
Question Skilful Sound Limited
Question 1 3 3-2 1
Question 2 4 3-2 1
Question 3 4 3-2 1
Question 4 4 3-2 1
Total /15
MODEL SPACECRAFT
Criteria Skillful Effective Sound Basic Limited
Ability to solve challenge 10-9 8-7 6-5 4-3 2-1
Ability to represent idea 6 5 4-3 2 1
Creativity and originality 5 4 3 2 1
Design aesthetics 3 2 1
Structural build quality 3 2 1
Use of materials 3 2 1
Total /30
TOTAL
/45
