NASA Invites Students to Innovate for Lunar and Martian Exploration

NASA is challenging university students to push the frontiers of space exploration through the 2026 NASA Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition. This initiative, organized by the National Institute of Aerospace, encourages innovative concepts aimed at enhancing human activities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

The RASC-AL competition calls for U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate teams, along with their faculty advisors, to propose new systems and technologies that will improve operations on the lunar surface and facilitate data retrieval from Mars. The themes for this year’s challenge encompass a wide range of topics, including the development of technologies that support lunar exploration and enhance our ability to operate effectively on Mars.

$112,000 in total prizes will be awarded to the most innovative concepts. The competition opens on August 13, 2025, and submissions will be accepted until February 23, 2026. Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate with NASA and industry partners, bridging essential gaps in aerospace technology and concepts.

The RASC-AL initiative serves as a platform for students to engage with real-world challenges in the field of aerospace. By fostering collaboration between academia and industry, NASA aims to inspire the next generation of innovators to develop solutions that address the complexities of space exploration.

For more information on the competition, interested teams can visit the official RASC-AL website at https://rascal.nianet.org/. This is a unique opportunity for students to contribute to significant advancements in space exploration and play a part in shaping humanity’s future in outer space.