Five Olympic Heights Engineering Academy students will be heading to Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral in late February to compete in the 2016 State Student Astronaut Challenge Finals.

The OH team of Kaylee Cunningham, Madison Flynn, Alec Gray, Julia Lopez, and Elizabeth Ososkie, earned one of the 13 state finalists’ spots by winning at the South Regional Astronaut Challenge held at Pompano Beach High School on Sept. 26. A total of 305 students representing 61 teams from across the state entered regional competitions.

The regional qualifier consisted of a 100-question multiple choice test based on a 200-page Student Astronaut Challenge manual. Students competed in five-person teams, each member taking a different version of the test; a composite score was derived from the team’s average.

The State Finals will be held February 25-28, 2016, wherein teams will compete in events that focus on aerospace science knowledge and understanding, problem solving skills, and space shuttle flight simulator performance.

The Student Astronaut Challenge is an open, nonprofit event that is dedicated to fostering interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The contest promotes creativity, teamwork, the understanding and application of STEM subjects, and the sharing of ideas.

This year’s State Student Astronaut Challenge will be hosted by NASA and the Kennedy Space Center. The three day competition will include tours of Kennedy Space Center, astronaut encounters, simulator rides, and a chance to get a close-up look at the Space Shuttle Atlantis’ new home.