NASA Opens $1 Million Moon Base Challenge for Students

NASA launches a $1 million Moon Base Student Challenge, inviting eligible US high school and college teams to design technologies across six categories for future lunar settlement.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched the Moon Base Student Challenge 2026, inviting high school and post-secondary student teams to develop innovative technologies for a future human settlement on the Moon. The competition offers up to $1 million in monetary awards and focuses on engineering solutions that can support astronauts living and working near the lunar South Pole.

Announced on November 8, 2026, during the MAX POWER event at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the initiative aims to encourage young innovators to address real-world challenges associated with establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon. The competition is organised by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement in collaboration with its Moon Base Program and administered by the Institute of Competition Sciences.

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The challenge covers six technical areas: power generation and storage, habitat construction using lunar materials, life-support systems, surface mobility, communication networks and astronaut safety. Participants are expected to propose practical solutions that can operate in the Moon’s harsh environment, including extreme temperatures, radiation, abrasive dust, low gravity and prolonged periods without sunlight.

Proposals must consider limited power, transportation constraints, minimal dependence on supplies from Earth and the need for reliable autonomous operations. The categories address essential requirements such as generating energy through the lunar night, constructing habitats with local materials, recycling water and managing oxygen, developing robotic mobility systems, maintaining communication links and protecting astronauts from environmental hazards.

The competition has separate high school and post-secondary divisions. High school participants must be between 13 and 18 years old and actively enrolled in an eligible US secondary education organisation. Post-secondary participants must be at least 16 years old and enrolled in an eligible US higher education institution.

Teams must comprise two to five students and have an adult coach aged 18 or above. International students can participate only if they are full-time students at an eligible US high school or higher education institution. Consequently, students enrolled at institutions in India are not directly eligible under the published rules.

All student team members must register individually through NASA STEM Gateway using their team's agreed name. The application window closes on January 25, 2027. Teams must submit a five-to-seven-page concept overview paper by February 22, 2027, outlining the problem, proposed technology, feasibility and operational requirements.

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Finalists will be announced on March 11, 2027, and invited to submit a video presentation of up to 10 minutes and a presentation deck. The final submission deadline is April 19, with winners scheduled to be announced on May 6, 2027.

NASA has made up to $1 million available across finalist, runner-up and grand-prize awards. The competition provides students with an opportunity to develop technical problem-solving, research and presentation skills while contributing ideas for future lunar exploration. Further details and registration guidelines are available through the official challenge website.