By BlueShift | 2026-03-12

To raise awareness about the importance of protecting the space environment, increasingly cluttered with space debris, and draw attention to its work in this area, the UK Space Agency held a Christmas card design competition.

Children of all ages were invited to submit their artwork, and contest winners were announced in four age categories, with age 7-12 category and overall winner Leo Pickard presenting an image of Santa and his sleigh in space.

In Leo's image, Santa is wielding a dustpan and brush to clean up those pesky debris particles as he flies by with his reindeer, on their way to deliver gifts.

While the competition was seasonal in focus, the problem of space debris is year-round -- and universal -- with the UK Space Agency encouraging children to continue to share designs on social media using the hashtag #KeepSpaceTidy.

"The competition is more than just festive fun – it's a chance to highlight the importance of protecting our space environment," the agency said in December.

"Space debris poses real risks to satellites and space missions."

"With thousands of satellites in orbit, and an increasing number of missions launching every year, it’s vital to minimize the creation of space debris and to develop technologies that can remove or avoid it."

"Sustainable practices include designing satellites to deorbit safely at the end of their lives, tracking objects in space to avoid collisions, and international cooperation to set standards for responsible behavior."

Inspiring young people

The United Kingdom is a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), which in 2018 piloted a space debris training course to introduce university students to the growing problem of space debris, and what can be done about it.

The course was delivered at ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Centre in Belgium to an enthusiastic reception, with one student saying it inspired them to pursue a PhD in the subject.

Building on those early efforts, the ESA will be holding a Clean Space Training Course in Belgium in mid July for master's and PhD engineering students with a foundational knowledge of space system design.

Developed in collaboration with the ESA Clean Space Office, the course equips future engineers to reduce the environmental impact of space missions.

It encompasses eco design, end-of-life management and the safe disposal of satellites, as well as in-orbit servicing and debris removal -- technologies for removing defunct spacecraft from orbit.

In an October interview with Innovation News Network, ESA head of strategy Heriberto Saldivar noted that ESA's Strategy 2040 aims to help Europe to build the future of space by engaging and inspiring young people.

It is "crucial for us to inspire people," he said. "I think space can really spark a fire in children and the younger generation who will be developing these capacities for the future."

Developing critical skills

Elsewhere around the world, young people have been turning their attention, intellect and creativity to address the same problem.

In November, 27-year-old Kenyan robotics teacher Jeremiah Kithinji took a team of his pupils from rural Kenya to the World Robotics Olympiad in Singapore.

Kithinji's team presented a simulated space mission with a robot that could launch a model satellite and collect space debris.

Kenya has pushed science and engineering in its latest curriculum, but lacks the resources for robotics training. The clubs in Kenya's Laikipia county, where Kithinji is based, reach around 200 pupils.

The clubs are funded by a US nonprofit, Science in a Suitcase, which helped train Kithinji and also funded the trip to Singapore.

"The skills these kids are developing -- critical thinking, problem-solving and technical skills... are the future skills our country needs," Kithinji told AFP.

"I want our kids to create the technology, not just consume it."