Out of This World! How Our Sixth-Grade Engineers Conquered "Build the Moon"

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would take to actually live on the Moon?

Our incredible sixth-grade students didn’t just wonder—they rolled up their sleeves and set out to build the future of space colonization. Taking on the ambitious "Build the Moon Challenge," these young innovators proved that space exploration isn’t just something we watch in movies. It’s something they can actually do. To build on the Moon, scientists have to use what’s already there. That means building with lunar regolith—the loose, powdery topsoil that covers the Moon's surface. Our students stepped into the shoes of NASA chemical and structural engineers. Their mission was clear: Invent their own "Lunar Concrete."

This wasn't a simple, one-and-done science project. It was a rigorous, weeks-long journey of trial and error. Our student scientists experimented with a wide variety of binders and aggregates. They tested everything from everyday kitchen staples like flour and oatmeal to professional-grade cement, mixing their ingredients with simulated lunar regolith. They had to ask hard questions:

• Could this mixture withstand the freezing, airless vacuum of space?

• Is it strong enough to hold up against cosmic radiation and micrometeorites?

Using their custom formulas, they designed, measured, and built everything from hand-cast bricks to cutting-edge 3D-printed walls. When a batch cracked or crumbled, they didn’t give up. They analyzed the failure, adjusted their recipes, and tried again. This grit and resilience are exactly how real space exploration moves forward.

While we are incredibly proud of every single student who participated, we have to shine a massive spotlight on one of our featured teams: The Artemis Wolves.This brilliant team of 10 student engineers took their research to a level that caught the attention of the global space community.

First, The Artemis Wolves were named the Top Team in the State of Missouri! But they weren't done making history. They were awarded the highest honor in the entire competition: "Best in Show." This is a massive, highly competitive global contest. Out of all the student projects submitted from around the world, our students' work was selected as one of the top four middle school projects on Earth! They were recognized globally for their outstanding creativity, meticulous scientific design, and bold vision for the future of space travel.

During the final evaluation, expert reviewers were blown away by the depth of their work. You can check out their feedback in the official review broadcast (skip directly to the 25:03–27:25 mark to hear their glowing feedback on the Wolves' "Best in Show" project!).

To our amazing sixth-grade engineers: You have shown us that when you work as a team and refuse to let failure stop you, you can build things that are literally out of this world.