Jugend forscht National Final 2026

Alexander Leukert and Leon Heinisch from Isolde-Kurz-Gymnasium in Reutlingen won the national title and first prize in the field of Geosciences and Space Sciences. The prize awarded by the Astronomical Society for outstanding work in astronomy was presented to them during the special awards ceremony on Saturday, May 30, 2026, by the Astronomical Society’s Press Officer, Dr. Janine Fohlmeister. The award includes an invitation to attend the annual meeting of the Astronomical Society and a one-year membership in the Society.

In their project, the team investigated whether the trajectories of satellites located between a planet and its moons can be predicted. The exact calculation of the trajectories of three mutually attracting bodies is impossible—the so-called three-body problem. This phenomenon has fascinated scientists for centuries, as understanding such configurations is of great importance for space exploration. 

Alexander Leukert and Leon Heinisch developed their own mathematical model to study satellite orbits. They analyzed a star–planet–moon system and examined the stability of orbital trajectories. In doing so, they discovered that small, closed orbits are possible near certain points between a planet and its moons.