I created this innovation because education has been standing at a crossroads for too long. In 2022, when the idea was born, it was clear that schools were no longer delivering what young people truly need — meaning, creativity, and the courage to imagine something better. We keep talking about the future, but we rarely give new generations the tools or freedom to build it.
Mars Challenge came from that frustration — and from hope. I didn’t want to prove anything to anyone; I simply wanted to play a part in reimagining how we learn as humanity. I’ve always believed that learning should be an act of creation, not repetition. So I looked for a metaphor big enough to shake our imagination, and Mars became that mirror: a place where we can test ideas for survival, purpose, and coexistence.
We used the impossible — living on another planet — to teach what’s essential on this one: empathy, collaboration, and the capacity to adapt. I wanted to show that innovation is not about technology alone, but about restoring our sense of wonder and responsibility.
Mars Challenge is my way of saying that the world can still learn — and that playing, dreaming, and daring are not distractions from education; they are education itself.
n practice, Mars Challenge operates as a planetary innovation ecosystem where learning becomes experimentation. Each year, students aged 15–29 join a mission inspired by one of the seven elements of life — Water, Earth, Air, Fire, Consciousness, Technology, and Balance — exploring how to survive on Mars while regenerating life on Earth.
The experience begins locally through hackathons organized by schools and universities across 17 countries — and growing. Teams design prototypes that address real planetary challenges, from renewable energy systems for Mars bases to water recovery models for drought regions on Earth. Mentors known as Mission 1 Mentors guide them through design thinking, systems thinking, and ethical reflection.
National winners advance to the International Final in Madrid in October 2026, where more than 20 countries are expected to join a two-day global hackathon. There, cross-country teams co-create new solutions and share them with experts from academia, industry, and space agencies.
Beyond the event, participants become Zers — young innovators who replicate what they’ve learned through local initiatives, igniting new communities of purpose. This “replica effect” ensures every mission leaves a trace of transformation.
Mars Challenge is not a competition; it’s a living lab of collective intelligence where education, science, and imagination merge to teach humanity how to adapt, evolve, and create together.
Mars Challenge has grown through experimentation, not perfection. From 2023 to 2025 we’ve been piloting across eight countries, testing how the idea could adapt to different languages, systems, and cultures. It was never about speed — it was about learning how to build something that could truly last.
Each country became a mirror, showing what works and what doesn’t. We learned how to form mentor networks, how to design challenges that inspire rather than intimidate, and how to connect young people across continents with limited resources but endless imagination.
By 2025, those lessons have shaped a network of 17 active countries preparing to co-design the 2026 edition — Earth. This next phase is where the real work begins: turning all the learning from the pilots into a coherent global system capable of generating measurable impact at scale.
Mars Challenge is still teaching us. It spreads not as a finished product, but as a movement of educators and dreamers who believe that building the future is a collective act. The real construction starts now — with the 2026 edition, when everything we’ve learned finally converges into purpose.
If you’re a young person, you can register directly on our website and become part of the global community of Zers — young innovators exploring how to build a better future for Earth and Mars. If your country is already active, you’ll be connected to the local edition. If not, you’ll soon be able to participate virtually as new partners join the network.
If you represent a school or university, you can request to join the Mars Challenge network as an official institution. Once accepted, our team accompanies the entire process: from teacher and mentor training (Mission 1 Mentors), to building the institutional catalogue, launching the student call, and organizing the local or national hackathon. The winning team represents the institution — and possibly the country — at the International Final in Madrid.
Every institution becomes part of a planetary learning ecosystem that connects education, sustainability, and innovation.
To begin, visit www.marschallenge.earth
and complete the registration form. We’ll guide you step by step to bring Mars Challenge to your classroom, your city, or your country — and to the next edition, Earth 2026.
