The Madak competition launched by the Saudi Space Agency, aims to inspire future generations to engage in space sciences

The Saudi Space Agency started the Madak competition on Sunday to encourage future generations to participate in space sciences and fostering a culture of creativity and research. The competition, named "Space Madak," is intended for youngsters in the Arab world who are between the ages of six and eighteen. By the fourth quarter of 2024, the selected entrants will be able to take a trip to the International Space Station.

Three tracks make up the competition: the arts track is for children ages 6 to 11; the botany track is for students ages 12 to 14; and the engineering track is for students ages 15 to 18.

The competition is a partnership between the Misk Foundation and the Ilmi Science Discovery & Innovation Centre, and is overseen by Rayana Barnawi, the first female Saudi astronaut who carried out 14 experiments on the International Space Station. It aims to develop students' talents and capacities in the Arab world and inspire them to discover the wonders of space travel.

It presents an experiment that looks at how the microgravity environment affects plant development in an effort to improve students' critical and analytical thinking abilities. In addition, the competition seeks to improve problem-solving abilities by assigning competitors to create scientific investigations in a microgravity setting.

The competition is open for registration at https://ssa.gov.sa/en/initiative/?path=/initiatives-1/madak-competition/ through April 30.

The SSA was founded in 2018 with the goal of enhancing the Kingdom's reputation as a preeminent regional and global hub for space research and development. Its main goals are on space research and exploration, opening up new doors for the sector and developing local talent to promote development and progress for the good of the country and all people.