STEM Space Lander Challenge
This STEM activity is one of our favorite engineering design challenges! The combination of ping pong balls and astronautss makes this a winning STEM challenge!
Grades: 6th- 8th
Teaching Duration: 3 Days
This STEM activity is one of our favorite engineering design challenges! The combination of ping pong balls and astronautss makes this a winning STEM challenge!
Grades: 6th- 8th
Teaching Duration: 3 Days
This STEM activity is one of our favorite engineering design challenges! The combination of ping pong balls and astronautss makes this a winning STEM challenge!
Grades: 6th- 8th
Teaching Duration: 3 Days
“This was an amazing STEM PBL activity for my students. They were very engaged throughout the entire project, and it was simple to modify for elementary age students. They learned a lot, and were discussing how they could modify it even after we were done working on the project.”
Lesson Overview
Completely Revamped (2025)!
Space Lander Engineering Design Challenge for Middle School STEM!
This STEM activity is one of our favorite engineering design challenges!
Get your students excited about engineering, physics, and space exploration with this hands-on STEM design challenge! In the Space Lander Challenge, students take on the role of NASA engineers tasked with designing and testing a lander that can safely deliver astronauts (ping pong balls) to the surface of Mars. Using limited materials, students must apply concepts of gravity, air resistance (drag), surface area, shock absorption, and stability while following real-world design constraints.
Perfect for middle school science and STEM classrooms, this lesson integrates Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Texas TEKS, and Common Core Math through collaborative problem-solving, data analysis, and engineering design.
This project is modified for grades 6 - 8. Find the elementary school (3-5) version here.
As with many STEM activities that are student-driven, this challenge can be tailored to students of various skill levels and abilities. As one of our go-to STEM challenges, we have used the STEM Space Lander Challenge in elementary through high school levels with great success!
Topics Covered:
Science: Gravity and drag forces, shock absorption, stabilization
Math: Graph changes in surface area with time to impact, calculate average speed
Real-World Engineering: Landing of Curiosity and Perseverance Rovers
Habits of Mind: Work as a team to design and build a landing device
STEM Career: Mechanical Engineering
Included in this product:
Complete Teacher Guide: Detailed teacher guide with links to resources, grading rubric, handouts on a STEM career connection and science background, student handouts for the engineering design process, and math extension problems.
Editable Teacher Presentation Slides: Guide your students through the challenge with editable Google Slides
Instructional video: Led by an engineer, the video includes science background, STEM careers, real-world connections, and a detailed explanation for the STEM activity
Editable Student Journals: Handouts for students that guide them through the phases of the engineering design challenge
Mission Report: Students complete a final report, which includes a mission patch, math extension problems, calculating how the surface area and weight of the lander impact average speed, and a new re-design challenge!
Supplies Needed:
Plastic Cup (9 oz)
2 ping pong balls
10 jumbo cotton balls
6 index cards
1 cardboard
6 plastic straws
Tape
2021 Texas Science Standards (TEKS):
Practices: 1A/B/D/E/F/G, 2A/B/C/D, 3A/B, 4A/B/C
Content: 6.8A, 6.7A, 7.7A-B, 8.6C, 8.7A
