Orbital University
Design in Space for Life on Earth Design ChallengeHow can we build an orbital university?Arranged By : World Design Organization® (WDO) and ISS National Lab
Orbital University envisions a multidisciplinary campus in Earth orbit where education, research, and humanity intersect. Evolving from an ISS-attached module into a standalone habitat, it leverages microgravity to democratize learning, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and cultivate global perspective through space-based education.
University of the University redefines what a university is and what it can become. Rather than functioning solely as a place of formal education, it acts as a holistic system that nurtures people intellectually, technically, spiritually, and socially. It is a school of transformation—where education is not only the transfer of knowledge, but its transport across disciplines, cultures, and generations. The university provides foundational tools for personal growth and advanced technical mastery, enabling individuals to go beyond existing limits in their fields. At its core lies an enduring community that sustains learning beyond time-bound degrees, fostering shared values, purpose, and responsibility. By integrating education, people, technology, and meaning, the University of the University becomes a living framework for continuous human development rather than a static institution.
The first phase imagines Orbital University beginning as a compact learning-and-research module docked to the International Space Station, using the ISS as a proven testbed for human life, experimentation, and daily routines in microgravity. This stage focuses on establishing the foundational infrastructure and culture of the university—how people learn, collaborate, and conduct interdisciplinary research while navigating isolation, risk, and disrupted natural cycles in orbit. The vision starts with a small pioneer cohort (around four crew members) who set up early programs and operational systems, creating a scalable blueprint that can later expand beyond the ISS into a dedicated station.
Orbital University develops through a gradual, scalable process. It begins as a small experimental module docked to the ISS, testing how learning, research, and collaboration function in microgravity. In the next phase, it expands into a semi-independent orbital campus with dedicated academic, living, and research modules. In its final stage, Orbital University evolves into a fully autonomous space-based institution, connected with Earth through learning hubs, enabling global access to education while positioning space itself as an active educational environment.
Activities within Orbital University are designed to merge academic life with the realities of living in space. Daily routines include research experiments in microgravity, interdisciplinary workshops, lectures, and collaborative studios that encourage exchange between scientific and humanistic fields. Informal activities—shared meals, observation of Earth, and reflective sessions—play an equally important role, supporting mental well-being and fostering a strong sense of community. Through these activities, learning becomes experiential, continuous, and deeply connected to the orbital environment.
Orbital University proposes a new model of education beyond Earth—one that treats space not as a distant frontier, but as an active learning environment. By evolving through adaptable phases, it demonstrates how education, research, and community can coexist in orbit. Ultimately, the project positions knowledge as a shared, borderless pursuit, shaping globally conscious individuals prepared to navigate both planetary and extraterrestrial futures.