According to the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), which supported her participation, the 18-year-old from Covilhã travelled to the US after qualifying for the international final by winning the European stage of the competition.

The final brought together students from different parts of the world and challenged them to work in teams on the design of a future space settlement.

Participants work as if they were part of aerospace companies, developing a detailed proposal that covers everything from engineering and infrastructure to operations, costs and the practical challenges of creating a place where people could live in space.

FLAD reported that Lua received the Anita Gale Visionary Leadership Award during the competition, recognising the leadership she demonstrated throughout the experience.

The achievement is the latest in a long list for the young Portuguese student. According to regional newspaper Gazeta do Interior, Lua completed secondary school with top marks, achieving 20 out of 20 in all subjects and national exams.

Her interests also go well beyond the classroom. She has represented Portugal in skyrunning, plays the piano and has taken part in national reading and public speaking competitions. She has also previously participated in CanSat Portugal, an initiative where students are challenged to build a small satellite inside the space of a soft drink can.

Her achievements were also recognised in the Portuguese Parliament earlier this year. The President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, highlighted Lua and her achievements during a plenary session.

The International Space Settlement Design Competition has been running for more than three decades and gives secondary school students the chance to experience some of the challenges involved in planning future communities beyond Earth.