Galileo —
a city under the ice.
The brief changes every year; the rules do not. For 2027 the setting is Europa, and every team bids for the same contract under the same rubric.
Humanity’s first
city under the ice.
Europa holds more liquid water than every ocean on Earth, beneath a shell of ice. Galileo is the first human settlement beyond the asteroid belt: a fuel-production and refuelling hub, and a centre for research, agriculture, maintenance and rescue.
Teams act as aerospace enterprises bidding for a development contract issued by the fictional International Deep Space Development Organization (IDSDO). The Request for Proposal (RFP) sets the mission, the engineering constraints and the deliverables — and the same rubric applies to every team in every country.
- Site
- Europa — an ocean beneath a 600 m working ice shell, with a service spine in the ice and a rotating habitation ring below
- Population
- 1,000 full-time residents, plus up to 250 transient visitors
- Gravity
- A rotating living ring designed for 0.8 g
- Access
- A surface port reached through two shafts, each 30 m in diameter; facilities for fifteen visiting vehicles
- Constraint
- Zero discharge to the ocean: water, air and waste loops closed
The online round
and the finals.
Two stages, one academic framework. The online round is where a team learns the method; the finals are where the method is tested under time pressure.
| Stage 1 · International Qualifying Round | Stage 2 · Global Finals | |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Online; teams submit from their home locations | On site; five days and four nights in Beijing |
| When | Register by 31 January; submit by 7 March; results 10 April 2027 | 12–16 August 2027 |
| Teams | Teams of 6–12 students and up to 2 mentor teachers, in English | National and regional delegations, registered through the organizer |
| Challenge | The 2027 Galileo RFP: a proposal deck and a pitch video | A new on-site RFP and the multinational Virtual Company challenge |
| Review | International Scientific Committee (ISC) review, with written feedback | Expert jury, final bidding presentation and awards |
What a team
must do.
The same rules apply in every member country and region. National organizers may add a local selection on top, but not change any of this.
| Item | 2027 international rule |
|---|---|
| Who | Secondary-school student teams from member countries and regions |
| Team size | 6–12 students and up to 2 mentor teachers, with one teacher named as coordinator |
| Mentor teachers | Up to two per team, each receiving a certificate. They guide and advise only — the team produces its own work |
| Language | English throughout: proposal, pitch video and defence |
| Entry | Only through the national or regional organizer. A school or team cannot register with the International Committee directly, and no country or region takes part before an institution holds the authorization |
| Registration | Indicative registration by 31 January 2027; full student and mentor rosters by 28 February 2027 |
| Submission | One proposal PDF and one pitch video, through the organizer, by 7 March 2027 |
| Review | International academic review, 8–31 March 2027 |
| Results | 10 April 2027: academic result, certificate and written expert feedback for every team |
A 16:9 presentation exported as one PDF in English, of up to about thirty slides, following the RFP structure: executive summary; structure and construction; operation and maintenance; human factors; infrastructure; schedule and cost; references. Dimensioned drawings use metric units, whether produced in CAD or by hand. The official template supplies the prompts for each section; it is a guide, not a requirement. Name the file as the RFP instructs — for example Proposal_[Team Name]_12-member Team.pdf.
Five to seven minutes in English, submitted as a video link, in which the team presents its design and bid: team introduction, the design response, any data collection or analysis, and a clear spoken argument. Presenters are expected to dress and speak as they would to a client.
| Criterion | What a reviewer looks for |
|---|---|
| Rationality | Scientific soundness and reasonable engineering — the RFP identifies this as the most important factor |
| Thoroughness | All explicit and implied requirements of the statement of work are addressed |
| Systematic | Consistent quantitative and qualitative reasoning, dimensions, units and cross-section interfaces |
| Economy | Effective use of limited resources and a convincing trade-off between alternatives |
AI may assist with early concept drafting, but research, writing and structure remain the students’ own work under the Honor Code. Technical graphs generated by AI are not accepted without scientific verification.
Every date
for the season.
The international calendar follows the same shape every year. National and regional partners may set earlier local deadlines of their own.
| Date | Milestone | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | Season notice and resource pack | The brief, templates, course access and registration instructions reach every organizer |
| 31 Jan 2027 | Qualifying Round registration | Indicative registration: participating schools and expected team numbers |
| 28 Feb 2027 | Full team rosters | Every named student and every mentor teacher is confirmed, and the roster is locked |
| 7 Mar 2027 | Proposal and pitch video | One PDF in English plus the video link, submitted through the organizer |
| 8–31 Mar 2027 | International evaluation | Subject experts read every submission against the official rubric |
| 10 Apr 2027 | Results and feedback | Academic results, certificates and written feedback to each team |
| 31 May 2027 | Global Finals delegation registration | Delegations and accompanying adults are confirmed for Beijing |
| 12–16 Aug 2027 | Global Finals, Beijing | Companies, the 24-hour challenge, the defence and the awards |
Dates are the current plan for the 2027 season and are restated in the official season notice issued to national and regional organizers.
Eight steps,
start to results.
What a school actually does, in order. A team that follows this sequence does not miss a deadline.
Form a team of six to twelve students and identify a teacher or team leader.
Register through the organizer for your country or region before 31 January.
Read the RFP and work through the introductory learning resources.
Assign department roles and agree on one coherent mission concept.
Prepare the proposal and the pitch video against every RFP requirement.
Submit through the organizer by 7 March.
Read the result and the expert feedback on 10 April.
Optionally take part in Beijing in August — the online result is not an entry condition.
Run the 2027
season locally.
The brief, the rubric and the review come from the International Committee. Schools, teams and delegations come through the national or regional organizer.
