Competitions & Challenges
Competitions and Challenges for Students
Don’t miss out on student competition opportunities available from NASA. Check this page often for new additions.
SPECIAL STATEMENT:
NASA has been closely monitoring developments of the COVID-19 outbreak. We are aware that many of the student teams participating in the Artemis Student Challenges must cope with limited or suspended physical access to campuses, travel restrictions or other impediments that may affect their ability to participate in the challenges as proposed.
Due to these hurdles we continue to face, and out of an abundance of caution for the teams and our workforce, activities for each of these events may look different than originally planned. It should be noted that the technical work completed by each team will not go unnoticed. Challenge managers for each activity will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any. We will continue to monitor the situation, and remain flexible and adapt as it evolves. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Are you interested in learning more about NASA’s Technology Transfer program? Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset? Visit our website to see how you could qualify to apply for the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovation and Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC). Through collaboration with NASA L’SPACE Academy, MITTIC is offering a “concept to commercialization” training opportunity. Learn to effectively write a concept paper that turns innovative ideas into reality!
Don’t miss this chance, come up with an idea to spinoff NASA Intellectual Property (IP) and work with a NASA researcher. During MITTIC you will:
- Upon completion of the L’SPACE Academy, teams composed of four (4) to five (5) students must choose one NASA Intellectual Property (IP) from the provided list, and submit a concept paper explaining the commercial viability of the proposed concept using MITTIC challenge guidelines .*Priority is given to teams partnering with a NASA Small Business Company (SBC).
- Up to eight (8) qualifying teams are selected to participate in an online collaboration tool and funded to travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The onsite immersion experience will occur in April 2021. Each team is REQUIRED to submit:
- Certificate of completion from a least one team member who completed one of the L’SPACE academies
- Concept paper/business plan
- Explanation of team’s concept and business plan during a poster session
- An oral “lightning pitch” presentation, during Space Tank competition
The concept paper, poster session and oral presentation will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee using the criteria listed within this document.
The winning team of the Space Tank competition will receive travel funding for up to five (5) team members and one (1) principal investigator (PI) to visit, tour and present at NASA’s Ames Research Center and various tech companies in Silicon Valley, California. This experience provides the team with an exclusive look at facilities, laboratories, start-up companies and the opportunity to discuss further concept development.
Each qualifying team could receive incentives of up to $5,000, while the winning team is eligible to receive up to an additional $10,000. Internship opportunities are also available for qualified MITTIC participants.
The timeline to apply for MITTIC is January 4- February 16, 2020 at midnight CT.
Learn more at go.nasa.gov/nasamittic or email questions to HQ-MITTIC@mail.nasa.gov
2021 NASA Artemis Lava Tube Challenge
Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium is excited to offer one of NASA’s Artemis Student Challenges — the Lunar Lava Tube Exploration Challenge.
We invite teams of students from two-year and four-colleges to participate. The Lunar Lava Tube Exploration challenges teams to explore a lunar lava tube with an eye toward its potential for human habitation.
The overall challenge goal is to build a rover and develop programs that allow the rover to navigate the challenge course, a model lunar lava tube. The lunar lava tube will not have a light source, teams should expect to incorporate a light source into their rover design and/or be prepared to navigate in a dark tunnel.
The challenge is open to students enrolled in a STEM major at a two-year or four-year college in the U.S. All enrolled STEM undergraduates are welcome to participate regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. Supply support, however, may be limited to U.S. citizens (see the information in the Supplies section below).
Teams should be 3–5 students. One student must be designated as the team lead who will handle all communications between the challenge coordinators and the team.
All teams must also have one mentor who is either faculty or a graduate student at their school. The mentor will be the secondary contact point for communications.
Registration is now open. Deadline for registration is late January 2021.
Watts on the Moon Challenge
As NASA works to extend human exploration of the solar system, unprecedented capacity for energy distribution, management, and storage will be needed to support a sustained human presence and the beginning of industrial activity. NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge seeks solutions for energy distribution, management, and/or storage that address NASA technology gaps and can be further developed for space flight and future operation on the lunar surface. Not only could novel solutions make a difference in lunar and space exploration, but technologies discovered during this Centennial Challenge could help facilitate new power options on Earth.
Award: Up to $500K in prizes for Phase 1
Open Date: September 25, 2020
Registration and Submission Deadline: March 25, 2021
Frequency: Potential for two phases
For more information, visit: nasa.gov/wattson
Break the Ice Lunar Challenge
From garage inventors to university students and entrepreneurs, NASA is looking for ideas on how to excavate the Moon’s icy regolith, or dirt, and deliver it to a hypothetical processing plant at the lunar South Pole. The NASA Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, a NASA Centennial Challenge, is now open for registration. The competition will take place over two phases and will reward new ideas and approaches for a system architecture capable of excavating and moving icy regolith and water on the lunar surface. The mission architectures developed in the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge aim to help guide machine design and operation concepts for future terrestrial and lunar mining and excavation operations and equipment for decades to come.
Open Date: November 18, 2020
Close Date: June 18, 2021
Awards: Up to $500K for Phase 1
Frequency: Potential for two phases
For more information, visit: breaktheicechallenge.com
Deep Space Food Challenge
In coordination with the Canadian Space Agency, NASA has opened the Deep Space Food Challenge. The goal is to generate novel food production technologies or systems that require minimal resources and produce minimal waste, while providing safe, nutritious, and tasty food for long-duration human exploration missions.
Astronauts need hearty nutrients to maintain a healthy diet in space, but like any of us, they want their food to taste good, too! As NASA develops concepts for longer crewed missions to Mars and beyond, the agency will need innovative and sustainable food systems that check all the boxes. Additionally, advanced food systems will have benefits here on Earth, too. Solutions from this challenge could enable new avenues for food production around the world, especially in extreme environments, resource-scarce regions, and in new places like urban areas and in locations where disasters disrupt critical infrastructure.
Open Date: January 12, 2021
Registration Close Date: May 28, 2021
Submission Deadline: July 30, 2021
Awards: Up to $500K for Phase 1
Frequency: Potential for two phases
For more information, visit: deepspacefoodchallenge.org