Dhaka: A team of nine students from Glenrich International School, Uttara, has secured first place in the prestigious NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest under the Large Group (Grade 9) category for their project ‘Chirayatasroy’ (Eternal Shelter). This achievement marks the third consecutive year that Glenrich Uttara has claimed this honor, reinforcing its reputation in space settlement design competitions.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, another team from the school won second prize in the Small Group (Grade 9) category for their project ‘Exserta’, while a third team received an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the Large Group (Grade 11) category for their project ‘Atlas’. These achievements highlight the dedication and talent of Bangladeshi students in the field of space settlement design.
The NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest, hosted by the National Space Society (USA), is an international competition aimed at engaging students in designing future space settlement concepts. This year, over 26,000 students from 25 countries, including Bangladesh, participated in the contest with more than 4,900 entries. The ‘Chirayatasroy’ project from Glenrich Uttara won first place in the Large Group category.
Team members of the winning group included Adwoito Bhaskar, Ahmad Abdullah, Aisha Afsara Yasmin, Seam Ahmed, Ibrahim Amin, Muhayr Manzoor, Ahnaf Tahmeed Aryan, Safwan Chowdhury, and Kazi Afsan Rawnak Anan. Dr. Amlan K Saha, Principal of Glenrich International School, expressed pride in the students’ hard work and commitment to addressing issues like climate change through their project.
Ahmad Abdullah, a member of the winning team, shared that they dedicated approximately 55 days to this project and expressed satisfaction with their success. The project ‘Chirayatasroy’ envisions a self-sustaining space settlement orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres, designed to accommodate up to 100,000 residents and powered by Mobius Strip-inspired solar panels.