NASA Opens $1 Million Moon Base Student Challenge
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 on Sunday, November 8, 2026.
The competition invites student teams at U.S. high schools and post-secondary schools to contribute designs for the Moon Base, where astronauts will live, work, and explore at the lunar South Pole region.
"We’re looking for students ready to think creatively, work as a team, and take on real problems connected to NASA’s future on the Moon," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "You do not have to wait until graduation to contribute. Curiosity, creativity, and the willingness to tackle hard problems without obvious answers are exactly the qualities we need as we build what comes next."
Student teams will design innovative solutions across six categories: power generation and storage, construction, life-support systems, surface mobility, communications networks, and astronaut safety.
"As we build and design the foundations of Moon Base, we want to leverage all the ingenuity and innovation to think of every consideration our explorers might need to live and work there," said Carlos García-Galán, manager, Moon Base Program. "Students bring exactly the bold ideas that we’re looking for, and I’m looking forward to their fresh perspective. Ultimately, Moon Base is for them, people who will experience a world where humans are on the Moon to stay."
Participants are required to register for the challenge through the NASA STEM Gateway. Registration is open until Jan. 25, 2027.
The Office of STEM Engagement designed the challenge in collaboration with the Moon Base Program. The Institute of Competition Sciences administers the challenge through a contract with the NASA Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation within the agency’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.
For complete competition details, eligibility requirements, and official rules, visit:
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