Reach for the stars with Mission to Mars patch competition

Public school students are again being invited to enter their creative space patch designs in the Mission to Mars Patch Design Competition for 2027 – 2028, with some additional help being offered this year from NASA’s own space patch designers.

Returning for 2026, the competition is run by the Western Australian Space Science Education Centre (WASSEC), located at Joseph Banks Secondary College.

WASSEC Director Phil Wass said he was amazed by the creativity and innovation of the students last year and is excited to see what’s in store for this year’s entrants.

“We're looking forward to seeing fresh ideas, unique artistic styles and the different ways students express their vision of space exploration to the red planet [Mars],” he said

“The competition gives students an opportunity to think like artists and designers, and we're excited to see the stories and inspiration within their mission patch concepts.”

This year’s competition has a special connection with NASA, whose designer will lead a workshop for staff and students. The designer has created numerous spaceflight and mission patches for International Space Station, SpaceX and Souyex flights.

During the Space Patch Workshop, they will share what goes into space patch designs, how they are created and their purpose and meaning for the crew involved. 

Students will learn about the design process, from ideas and meaning, through to drafting and finalising an official space patch.

This year’s judging panel will be a specialist panel involving experts from various space industries at local, national and international levels.

“Judges include representatives from the International Space Centre at The University of Western Australia, the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED) Space Industries team, and an astrobiologist and artist from the University of Hawaiʻi who is also a Fulbright Scholar,” Mr Wass said.

“Their diverse backgrounds provide students with valuable industry perspectives and ensure entries are considered through a range of scientific, technical and creative lenses.

“Having industry professionals involved in the judging process brings real-world expertise and authentic perspectives to the competition.”

Mr Wass said the competition provides a unique opportunity for WA students to make a creative contribution to WASSEC.

The winner of the competition will see their patch on the spacesuits worn by the students who visit the centre and participate in the Mission to Mars program.

The design will also be turned into a commemorative sticker for visitors, workshop participants and expo attendees over the following two years.

The winning student will receive a class pass to participate in the Mission to Mars program.

Last year there were more than 2,500 entries from across 87 public schools, with Jasmine Barton from Kalamunda Senior High School named the winner. There is more information about her winning patch on our website.

You can learn more about the competition and get involved on the WASSEC website.