NASA opens $1 million Moon Base Student Challenge for U.S. high school and college teams

NASA announced the opening of its $1 million Moon Base Student Challenge during a MAX POWER event at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The announcement was made on Sunday. The competition invites student teams at U.S. high schools and post-secondary schools to contribute designs for the Moon Base nasa.govNASAnasa.govOpen source ↗.

NASA is building a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region, where astronauts are to live, work and explore. According to the agency, a permanent human presence on the Moon paves the way for future crewed missions to Mars and requires talent from various industries and backgrounds. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said students do not have to wait until graduation to contribute.

Six design categories

The challenge has several phases. Student teams will design solutions for Moon Base in six categories: power generation and storage, construction, life-support systems, surface mobility, communications networks, and astronaut safety.

The challenge uses authentic environmental and mission design parameters for life and operations on the lunar surface. The deliverables reflect industry skills, such as trade studies, concept proposals and stakeholder briefings. According to NASA, participants on technical, vocational and various academic tracks can take part without prior specialized engineering or technical experience nasa.govNASAnasa.govOpen source ↗.

Registration and organizers

Participants must register through the NASA STEM Gateway. Registration is open until Jan. 25, 2027. Complete competition details, eligibility requirements and official rules are published at moonbasechallenge.org.

The Office of STEM Engagement designed the challenge in collaboration with the Moon Base Program. The Institute of Competition Sciences administers it under a contract with the NASA Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, part of the agency's Research and Technology Mission Directorate.

Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, said students bring the bold ideas the program is looking for. Elaine Ho, associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters, said she looks forward to the creativity the challenge spurs. NASA says the challenge supports its commitment to cultivating the technical skills of the future aerospace workforce nasa.govNASAnasa.govOpen source ↗.