Schoolchildren from a small town in Seville take their Lunar Constitution to ESA, demonstrating that the future of space is also being written in the classroom.
A small group of pupils from the San Ignacio del Viar state school in Alcalá del Río, Seville, a town of 700 inhabitants, has managed to make their voice heard by the European Space Agency (ESA), and their pioneering project is inspiring experts, astronauts and authorities around the world.
The document, which has marked a turning point in education and Space exploration, is the first Lunar School Constitution, a document that proposes rights and duties for the future inhabitants of the Moon, and which has been presented at the ESA headquarters in Germany. Drafted by Primary education pupils of grades 5 and 6, and the project’s teacher and coordinator, Herminio Rodríguez Pozo, the Constitution was born from an idea as simple as it is revolutionary: children also have the right to decide on the future of outer Space.
The Lunar School Constitution is, in itself, the best example of international Space cooperation. Behind this project, there is a multidisciplinary team of professionals from both Spain and Latin America. Violeta Gandullo (Spain) ensured that the text was aligned with the five main Space treaties and with International Space Law, ensuring that the result was not just science fiction, while teaching the children the basics of Space law.
Gandullo’s work also consisted of coordinating the team -which was key to the success of the publication-, composed of Alejandra Romero, a renowned and award-winning Argentinian illustrator and graphic designer, María Testa (Argentina), who translated part of the article into Braille and Marta Cardoso (Argentina), who adapted the content to children’s language.
The team strived to make the Constitution inclusive through the use of calligraphy suitable for readers with dyslexia, representing diverse astronauts – including one with a cochlear implant and others with glasses – and reflecting a wide variety of races, in line with UNOOSA’s motto: SPACE4ALL. In addition, it was decided that the flags should be invented, thus underlining the vision of outer Space as the common heritage of mankind.
In this way, and inspired by the Space 2030 Agenda, International Space Law and a better future, the students drew up a text that advocates an ethical and sustainable management of the Moon, incorporating values such as diversity, respect and equality.
“Art. 4. – The principle of cooperation: Lunar inhabitants have a duty to promote solidarity and cooperation in the lunar colony, fostering mutual help and the construction of a united community. All lunar inhabitants are expected to respect and comply with the rules and laws established in the lunar colony, contributing to peace and social order.” Lunar School Constitution, CEIP San Ignacio del Viar, 2025.
During their trip to Germany, supported by the Seville Chamber of Commerce, the pupils presented their project at the ESA Operations Centre in Darmstadt, with the support of ESA and the ARISS programme, which allowed the pupils to communicate by radio with the astronauts on the International Space Station.
Subsequently, the Minister of Education, Pilar Alegría, received the young students at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports in Madrid, recognising the impact of the project: “To have been able to create, from something small, such a big project that has attracted the attention of so many people around the world, is incredible,” says Alegría.
It is also worth mentioning the support received from important figures in the Space sector, such as astronauts Sara García, Pablo Álvarez and Pedro Duque, as well as from the Royal Household and the Seville Provincial Council.
Now, impressed by the energy and enthusiasm shown, Carlos García Galán, an engineer from Malaga and a key figure in NASA’s Artemis programme – involved in the development of the Orion Spacecraft – is inviting the group to see first-hand the facilities of the emblematic Cape Canaveral Space Centre in Florida, the epicentre of US Space operations.
The visit is scheduled for March 2026 and already has the institutional support of NASA and the Education Department of the Spanish Consulate in Miami, among many other entities.
This milestone is not merely an academic exercise, but an example of how education can anticipate the future and give a voice to those who will be the protagonists of the next Space era. Today the message is clear: the future of lunar exploration is also being written in the classroom because, as Herminio Rodríguez says, “a school that dreams generates a more aware and advanced society”.
