ADT began as (YAC) The Young Astronauts Club at Collierville Middle School in 1999. In 2001, we changed our name to SpaceX (the Space Exploration Club). In 2003 ADT (the Aerospace Design Team) was organized for Collierville-area high school students.

ADT meets every Saturday morning, during the school year, to brainstorm ideas and work on our annual entry in the international NASA Ames Research Center Space Settlement Contest. Our first entry, in 2000, won third place. Overall, we have won two honorable mention, two third place, and six first place awards.

Much of our research involves planetary geology, as we determine where our colony will be located and how it will be maintained. Mining equipment, processes and procedures are key elements of our entries.