A team of Year 12 pupils from Oxford High School GDST has won the Entrepreneurial Innovator award at the Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit in Houston, USA. Competing in the Aerospace and Aviation category, team mO=On were the only team from Europe to reach the finals and now join an elite group of award-winning young innovators recognised on the global stage.
The Conrad Challenge, presented by Equinor, is a globally renowned innovation competition that empowers students aged 13-18 to develop entrepreneurial solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. With over 4,000 students from more than 50 countries participating in this year’s competition, mO=On’s success is a remarkable achievement.
The team – Amy, Aaron, Casey and Christina – under the guidance of teaching staff Dr Adrian Kewell and Mr Mike Gallacher, received acclaim for their pioneering project addressing a critical challenge in space exploration: the extraction, storage and transport of liquid Oxygen and Hydrogen on the Moon.
Their proposed service aims to supply space agencies and private companies with essential fuel for missions to Mars and beyond, supporting the goal of sustainable lunar settlements.
Their award was presented during the Innovation Summit’s award ceremony at Space Center Houston, after finalists pitched their projects to a panel of esteemed judges from the space industry, academia and government. Their achievement marks a major milestone for the team and underscores Oxford High School’s commitment to fostering innovation and real-world problem solving.
This marks the third time Oxford High School GDST has reached the Conrad Challenge finals. In the 2022/2023 competition, team Orbnet won two awards and shared their experience in a TEDx talk, Lessons From Outer Space, at the school’s Youth Conference in March 2024.
“We are incredibly proud of our students’ achievement on the global stage,” said Mrs Marina Gardiner Legge, Head of Oxford High School GDST. “Winning the Entrepreneurial Innovation award at the Conrad Challenge is not only a testament to their ingenuity and perseverance but also a moment of pride for our entire school community.”
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Mr Mike Gallacher, mentor to the team, “it is the highlight of my teaching career to have played even a small part in this incredible achievement.”
Oxford High School GDST is an Independent Girls’ School in Oxford for girls aged 4 to 19 and is a place where girls can learn without limits while cultivating a community where lifelong friendships and a passion for learning flourish. As part of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) network, the school provides a dynamic and nurturing environment for young women to thrive.
