Winners of Out-of-This-World Art and Poetry Contest Announced on the International Space Station

Our astronaut friends on the International Space Station printed out and proudly floated the winning creations in space! They have been sent down via SpX-31, a special cargo ship, and will be mailed out to winners shortly.
Media Credit: NASA
The ISS National Lab-sponsored contest received nearly triple the number of entries as last year, more than 2,700 entries from students in 35 countries
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), February 5, 2025 – Students from around the world saw their space-themed works of pen, paint, and poetry floating in the cupolaA small module on the International Space Station with seven windows for observing and photographing Earth, spacecraft arrivals and departures, and spacewalks. of the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) as part of a contest to spark student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers through the arts.
John Shoffner, a lifelong space enthusiast, aviator, entrepreneur, and pilot on Axiom Space’s 2nd commercial astronaut mission to the space station, developed this unique student contest through his Perseid Foundation. In collaboration with the foundation, Axiom Space and the Limitless Space Institute helped to bring this opportunity to students worldwide through the sponsorship of the ISS National Laboratory®.
In this second year of the contest, the Perseid Foundation received more than 2,700 entries of art and poetry from 35 countries depicting students’ ideas about what it is like to live and work in space. From these entries, Shoffner and a panel of judges selected four works of art and four poems, and then worked with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration to transmit the winning pieces to the space station so crew members could print them. Winning works of art and poetry were each photographed in the cupola.
Shoffner has always loved space, art, and the combination of the two, and when he was 10 years old, he painted a picture of NASA astronaut Ed White. When Shoffner flew on Axiom Mission-2 (Axiom-2) as its pilot, he used his experience on the space station to excite kids about STEM learning. While on the orbiting laboratory, he recorded a message announcing the winners of the Perseid Foundation’s first space-themed art and poetry contest.
The foundation announced the second contest’s winners by sharing their photos and poetry on its website. The works returned to Earth in December at the conclusion of SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services mission(Abbreviation: CRS mission) A CRS mission is a cargo resupply mission contracted by NASA to deliver supplies and research to the International Space Station on commercial spacecraft as part of the CRS contract with three commercial companies. As part of CRS missions, experiments currently return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that splash down in the ocean. for NASA. The winners will receive their space-station printed work of art and a certificate stating it has flown in space. Every student who entered the contest also received a digital participation certificate and a note from Shoffner.
Educational outreach and workforce development are key focus areas for the ISS National Lab. The success of future commercial low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. destinations requires a strong space industry workforce, and the ISS National Lab supports a number of educational outreach programs at every age level to help prepare the next generation of researchers, engineers, and explorers. The International Space Art and Poetry Contest is one way partners leveraged the ISS National Lab to engage youth across the globe to pique their interest in space and space-focused careers.
“For the second year in a row, the International Space Art and Poetry Contest has reignited my love for space beyond my wildest imagination. Bright minds from 35 countries around the world showcased wide-eyed curiosity, bright color, and aspirational words,” said Shoffner about this year’s contest. “I’m assured the future of the space program is in great hands.”
He concluded this year’s contest with a note for its participants: “Thank you, once again, for showing me the sky is not the limit,” he said.
To learn more about ISS National Lab educational partners and opportunities for students to leverage the orbiting outpost to ignite their curiosity, including an upcoming funding opportunity, please visit our website.
Download a high-resolution image for this release: Winning Works of Art and Poetry
Media Contact:
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes).) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation. Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.