9–12
Grades
Students worldwide
In partnership with
Beyond Space Technologies
Virtual Analog Astronaut Program
Design the experiment.Direct the astronaut.
Winter 2026 · Applications open
High school students write a real experiment, sit Mission Control, and guide an analog astronaut inside a habitat — from anywhere on Earth.
Winter
2026
This season’s mission
Live
Habitat ops
You run Mission Control
Online
From home
Join from anywhere
Not a space lecture
This is a live mission.
Most space programs teach students about exploration. This one asks them to operate one.
Students take a real mission objective: investigate a question, write the protocol, and guide an analog astronaut from Mission Control — even when the plan breaks.
“By the end, students will not simply understand how a space mission works. They will have helped operate one.”
How it works
Seven beats. One live mission.
Train, write the protocol, fly it from Mission Control, then debrief.
Mission phase
Train for the mission
01
Train for the mission
Learn how science and ops change inside a confined habitat — delays, resources, and human factors.
Habitat systems · experiment design · comms delay
Mission Control
Pick a seat in the room
Every student sits a defined ops role. The mission depends on the whole room doing its job.
FLT
Flight Commander
Timeline, coordination, and shift handovers.
CAPCOM
CAPCOM
The voice between Mission Control and the analog astronaut.
SCI
Science Officer
Watches execution and evaluates incoming science data.
MED
Medical Officer
Tracks health, stress, and cognitive performance.
GSH
Ground Station Handler
Telemetry, signal, and mission data.
Outputs
What you leave the mission with
Working mission documents — not classroom worksheets. Artifacts a flight controller would recognize.
- Experiment proposalA research question, rationale, and method the analog astronaut can actually fly.
- Astronaut checklistStep-by-step ops a crewmember can execute — safety, timing, and abort paths included.
- CAPCOM packagesVoice loops, uplink notes, and comms the habitat can act on without a lecture.
- Ops & anomaly logsWhat ran, what broke, and how the team rewrote the procedure in the moment.
- Returned-data analysisRead the habitat downlink — images, samples, telemetry — and say what it means.
- Mission reportA flight-style closeout: findings, constraints, and how you’d fly it again.
- Debrief briefingStand up and present the mission the way a real ops team would.
When the experiment leaves the screen
The astronaut executes. You direct.
Once the analog astronaut enters the habitat, student Mission Control takes the loop. You get logs, images, and data — often with delay — and uplink when the procedure breaks.
- Monitor experiment execution
- Diagnose unexpected anomalies
- Uplink a revised protocol through the delay
- Read the data that comes back from the habitat
5–20 min delay
- 12:04:18Experiment package received
- 12:13:42Anomaly detected: sensor variance
- 12:21:09Revised protocol uplinked
Who should apply
Curious builders. Any field.
Designed for curious, motivated students who want to explore how science and engineering are used in real mission environments.
Prior experience in space science is not required. Show up ready to contribute, collaborate, and own mission deadlines.
- Aerospace
- Astronomy
- Biology
- Medicine
- Psychology
- CS / AI / ML
- Robotics
- Data science
- Environment
- Exploration
No prior space coursework required.
Skills you practise
01Experiment design
A testable question the analog astronaut can actually fly.
02Protocol writing
Turn research into steps another person can execute.
03Precise comms
Technical instructions CAPCOM can uplink without a lecture.
04Role teamwork
One seat, one job, one timeline — across Mission Control.
05Data analysis
Read logs, images, samples, and telemetry that return.
06Anomaly calls
Diagnose the break with incomplete information.
07Time pressure
Decide under delay, resource limits, and abort paths.
08Mission debrief
Stand up and present the flight the way ops would.
From idea to execution
Your mission journey
Four connected phases take the experiment from a question to physical execution and a debrief.
Swipe to explore phases
01–04
01Train
Prepare for the mission
Analog ops, human factors, and how research changes inside a confined habitat.
Experiment concept
02Design
Build a real experiment
A proposal and a step-by-step protocol an analog astronaut can actually fly.
Astronaut-ready protocol
03Operate
Run Mission Control
Take a seat. Guide the astronaut. Uplink when the procedure breaks.
Logs + observations
04Analyse
Debrief the mission
Read what returned. Present findings and how you’d fly it again.
Mission report
01Train
Prepare for the mission
Analog ops, human factors, and how research changes inside a confined habitat.
Experiment concept
02Design
Build a real experiment
A proposal and a step-by-step protocol an analog astronaut can actually fly.
Astronaut-ready protocol
03Operate
Run Mission Control
Take a seat. Guide the astronaut. Uplink when the procedure breaks.
Logs + observations
04Analyse
Debrief the mission
Read what returned. Present findings and how you’d fly it again.
Mission report
Outcomes
BuildUp student admits
Students from the BuildUp ecosystem progress to globally respected universities through research-first preparation, rigorous mentorship, and project-backed profiles.
Harvard University
Duke University
NYU
University of Oxford
UCLA
University of Warwick
LSE
King’s College London
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
USC
UC Berkeley
University College London
NUS
London Business School
Certification
Three reviews. One certificate.
The mission is assessed the way ops is assessed — readiness before flight, performance on console, then a closeout debrief.
01/03
- 01
Before flight
Protocol Readiness Review
Assessment of the experiment proposal, scientific rationale, and operational checklist before mission approval.
- 02
On console
Mission Operations Review
Assessment of team performance during execution, communication, shift management, and anomaly resolution.
- 03
Closeout
Final Mission Debrief
Assessment of data analysis, conclusions, and recommendations following the mission.
Awarded
Mission credential
Virtual Analog Astronaut Program Certificate
Students who successfully complete the program and fulfil their assigned mission responsibilities receive a Virtual Analog Astronaut Program Certificate. Certificates may identify operational specialisation — Mission Specialist, Flight Controller, Science Officer, or Medical Officer.
- Mission Specialist
- Flight Controller
- Science Officer
- Medical Officer
Institutions represented
Our students are from
Schools and institutions represented across BuildUp programs worldwide. Join the mission and you are building alongside an ambitious group of peers.
Akshara International
Billabong High International
CNS Pune
Enko International Schools
Gems Modern Academy - Abu Dhabi
Indus Bangalore
International Academy
MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul
Mahindra United World College
Pathways World School
Pine View School
Riverside Academy - Qatar
Shri Ram School
TISB
Thomas Jefferson high School
Vidyagyan School
BD Somani
Bishops School Pune
Cygnus World School
Future Kids School Hyderabad
Heritage International School
Indus Pune
Kodaikanal International School
Mahindra International School
Oakridge International
Pestalozzi Education Center
Prudence School
San Mateo High School
Stonehill International School
The Doon School
Vidya Valley School
Woodstock School
Voices from past cohorts
Student experiences with BuildUp
BuildUp has worked with students worldwide across internships, research, and specialised labs. Here is what past students say.
Program details
Winter mission at a glance
Winter 2026 · Fully Online · Open to Students Worldwide
Tuition
$1,950
Mission dates
19 Dec 2026 – 9 Jan 2027
Duration
3 weeks
Time commitment
Live Mission Control ops during the window
Delivery
Fully Online
Student age group
Grades 9–12
Cohort size
Limited mission cohort
Application deadline
1 Dec 2026
Next step
Apply for the Winter 2026 cohort · $1,950
Partnership
BuildUp Global × Beyond Space
Together, BuildUp Global and Beyond Space Technologies are making a complex mission environment accessible to students around the world.
BuildUp Global
BuildUp Global creates immersive career and industry experiences for school students. Through partnerships with companies, researchers and domain experts, students move beyond passive learning to work on structured, real-world projects with tangible outcomes. BuildUp programs have engaged students from more than 129 nationalities across internships, research experiences, career simulations and specialised industry labs.
Beyond Space Technologies
Beyond Space Technologies develops research-led learning and mission experiences across space science, engineering and human spaceflight. Its analog mission environment allows participants to explore the scientific, operational and human challenges involved in conducting research under simulated space conditions.
Applications open
Your mission begins on Earth
Spaceflight will belong to people who can pair scientific curiosity with operational discipline. This winter, fly an analog mission from home — not a lecture about one.
Winter 2026 applications are open to students worldwide.
01
Design the experiment
A protocol an astronaut can execute.
02
Join Mission Control
Take a seat. Run the timeline.
03
Direct the astronaut
Uplink when the plan breaks.
04
Analyse what returns
Debrief like a flight team.