TransitSatellite Education · Interactive mission lab

Design a space mission. Balance the budget.

Every spacecraft needs a destination, launch, instruments, and a plan to pay for it all. Experiment with choices to learn how engineers balance science, risk, and financial constraints.

Editorial illustration of an Artemis spacecraft mission

Editorial spacecraft illustration. The mission simulator below is fictional and uses illustrative financial values.

Mission design lab

Build your spacecraft mission

Choose a destination, spacecraft, launch, instruments, and ground operations. Your budget updates as you plan.

Available mission budgetDestinationStudy changing conditions on our home planet from orbit.Spacecraft busLower cost, limited payload capacity and redundancy.Launch serviceLower cost, but less control over schedule and insertion orbit.Science payloadTake visible-light images for mapping and observation.Mission operationsSmaller ground team and shorter operating campaign.Contingency reserve15%Reserved for unexpected engineering costs; calculated as a percentage of planned costs.Advanced: add a hypothetical $25.00M research contract. This is an illustrative payment after mission completion, not cash available for initial construction. Contracts may have milestones, costs, and obligations.

Live financial report

Mission budget

Funding: $200.00M
Earth observation: $12.00M
Small spacecraft bus: $38.00M
Shared launch: $35.00M
Imaging camera: $18.00M
Lean operations: $18.00M
Contingency (15%): $18.15M
Total planned cost: $139.15M
Remaining funding: $60.85M

70% of initial funding committed

Within budget, with no flagged design conflicts

Learning outcome

Illustrative science capability: 47 points. This is a game score, not a real scientific performance metric.

Reflect on your choices

Can you increase science capability without exceeding your budget?
What changes if you increase the contingency reserve from 15% to 30%?
Why might a low-cost launch be incompatible with a distant destination?
What is the difference between available startup funding and revenue received after a mission succeeds?

All budgets, mission scores, and contract payments are fictional classroom examples in millions of US dollars, not actual launch prices, spacecraft quotations, feasibility assessments, or investment advice. Mission plans are not stored or transmitted.

For teachers and families

Suggested for grades 6–12, with adult guidance as needed. Estimated activity time: 30–45 minutes. Learning goals: budget arithmetic, contingency planning, engineering constraints, mission scope, and the difference between funding and later revenue. The activity runs in your browser without a student account or saved answers.

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