Team History
Seven Western Cape students – Benjamin Honigwachs, Dean Weich, Zayaan Abdurahman, Joseph Allderman, Ethan Schoombee, Alaya Kaplen and Qayalah Omar – won the national qualifier at the University of Cape Town and were selected to compete in the International Space Settlement Design Competition, held at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 2023. Under the guidance of Jagger Cooper‑Doubell, the team spent months preparing a project that would take them to an international event.
Hermes Project
The team formed the simulated aerospace company Rockdonnell, bringing together 60 students from six countries (USA, Australia, China, Brazil, UK and Africa) to create a deep‑space exploration vessel called Hermes. Hermes was designed to carry 3,000 passengers through the inner Solar System to Mercury. Each member played a specific role: Honigwachs drafted the structural design; Allderman and Schoombee developed propulsion systems, advocating nuclear fission over fusion; Abdurahman designed life‑support systems; Weich and Omar created financial models to demonstrate economic viability.
Recognition and Future
After a rigorous presentation before NASA experts and a retired astronaut, the Rockdonnell team was awarded first place globally. Joseph Allderman received the individual Anita Gale Creative Genius Prize for his contribution to the project. Beyond the win, the students toured NASA facilities, including the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The achievement has already sparked plans to expand the South African Space Design Competition nationally, aiming to provide more STEM opportunities for South African students.
