NASA Announces Winners in University Aeronautics Competition – NASA

The South Dakota State University team won first place in NASA’s fifth annual Gateways to Blue Skies competition, which challenged student teams to tackle a critical part of American aviation: aircraft maintenance.

This year’s competition, RepAir: Advancing Aircraft Maintenance, challenged teams of postsecondary students to develop innovative systems and practices that could advance commercial aircraft maintenance and repair operations by 2035. The competition, sponsored by NASA’s University Innovation Project within the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, supported the agency’s goals of fostering innovative research and strengthening the future workforce of aviation.

“This year’s finalists proposed innovative ideas to equip companies and their workers with innovative technologies to help keep our nation’s aircraft airworthy. This is especially critical in an era when flight safety is more often in the spotlight and workforce shortages are leading to challenges and opportunities in aviation,” said Steven Holz, associate project manager for NASA’s University Innovation Project and jury chair for Gateways to Blue Skies. “Our panel of industry and domain experts were excited about the possibilities these concepts could bring, as well as sharing the information needed for these teams to move toward real-world implementation.”

The winning project, WINGMAN, proposed augmented reality safety glasses equipped with voice-activated manuals, automatic documentation and photo recognition that could help aircraft mechanics with routine daily maintenance and minor repairs. The glasses would function as the mechanic’s “wingman,” allowing hands-free access to information and reporting mechanisms required for online inspections.

The WINGMAN team presented their research with eight finalists at the Gateways to Blue Skies 2026 forum held May 18-19 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The forum was judged by subject matter experts from NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and industry, including representatives from Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. Students attending the forum had the opportunity to network with NASA and industry experts, tour the center and gain insight into potential careers. The event was broadcast live and the presentations were recorded.

Members of the winning team will have the opportunity to intern at one of four NASA aeronautics research centers during the 2026-27 academic year, including NASA Langley, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

“It was super exciting to participate in Gateways to Blue Skies, especially with the really interesting concepts this year,” said Owen Diede, WINGMAN team leader. “We could not have achieved this without the feedback and support of our faculty advisor, Dr. Todd Letcher, as well as our design review committee, Dr. Ruyi Lian and Dr. Cody Christensen. This has been a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow, and we are incredibly grateful for the experience.”

Other recognitions included:

• Best Infographic: University of California, Irvine
  Aishield: Aircraft Health Structural Intelligence for Lifecycle Assessment and Detection
• A Game-Changing Future: The University of Georgia
  Quasar: aerial reports of quantum detection
• Safety Spotlight: South Dakota State University
  SPIDER (Surveying Platform and Inspection Device for Closed Regions)

The commercial aviation industry is a crucial part of the U.S. economy, but it faces significant challenges due to a shortage of qualified maintenance personnel and the growing demand to keep planes in service longer. NASA is committed to working with commercial, academic, and government partners to advance the capabilities and performance of U.S. aviation.

The Gateways to Blue Skies Challenge is part of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program. The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Prizes, Challenges and Crowdsourcing program, is managing the challenge through the National Aerospace Institute on behalf of NASA.

For more information about NASA’s Aeronautical Research Mission Directorate, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics