Summary

NASA’s Psyche mission will explore the Psyche asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Space exploration may feel unattainable for many, but crafting and play can remove barriers and make everyone feel included in the adventure! Your challenge is to create a Psyche-themed party package that engages learners of all ages in hands-on, creative, and "crafty" play and is accessible, sustainable, and feasible enough to be replicated by families as well as museum, library, and school staff.

Background

The NASA Psyche mission is an exciting orbiter mission that will explore the Psyche asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This asteroid is of great scientific interest because it is likely rich in metal. It may consist largely of metal from the core of a planetesimal, one of the building blocks of the Sun’s planetary system. The Psyche mission will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but rich in metal!

Members of the Psyche mission team come from all around the world and from various backgrounds, but all are united in their love of space exploration and creativity! In fact, many of them are artists, musicians, and crafters themselves.

Big ideas—like exploring an asteroid—often have their roots in creative play. Teachers, museums, libraries, and families worldwide use crafts, costumes, games, and more to encourage children (and lifelong learners) to engage with the world around them and to explore the current and future possibilities in their own lives. While space exploration may feel unattainable for many or can be difficult to comprehend, crafting and play can remove barriers and enable everyone to feel included in the adventure!

Objectives

Your challenge is to create an original Psyche-themed party package (for example, invitations, decorations, costumes, games, crafts, art projects, and more!) that engages learners of all ages in hands-on, creative, and "crafty" play and allows everyone to be included in the adventure. The challenge involves creating a package that is accessible, sustainable, and feasible enough to be replicated by families at home as well as by museum, library, and school staff worldwide. Your ideas can help everyone around the world to celebrate the Psyche mission’s “journey to a metal world!”

Potential Considerations

You may (but are not required to) consider the following when creating your party package:

How can you make your party package accessible to everyone?
- Consider potential participants’ ability levels and languages, party costs, etc.
- Can everything be accessed online, be downloaded, or be created using everyday household materials and tools?
Can you provide options that are “high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech?” For example, you could create a game that can be played on the computer (high-tech), or downloaded and printed at home (low-tech), or drawn and decorated by hand using household supplies (no-tech). Party invitations could be emailed (high-tech), printed (low-tech), or drawn at home and mailed or delivered by hand (no-tech).
Consider incorporating themes from the Psyche mission such as the mission goals, timeline, science objectives, technology, teamwork, Psyche-inspired art, and more to inspire a celebration that will engage and excite future space explorers!
How can you make your party package sustainable in terms of the environment? Can you incorporate goals to “reduce, reuse, recycle?”
Be playful and creative—you can think “outside the box,” but still achieve the challenge objectives.

For data and resources related to this challenge, refer to the Resources tab at the top of the page.

2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge

Plan a Party to Celebrate NASA's Journey to a Metal World