NASA Accepts Proposals for 2026 Student Launch Challenge
NASA launches the student launch challenge in 2026, looking for new student teams to design, build and launch high power rockets with a scientific or engineering payload next April.
The agency requests proposals until Monday, September 22. The details of this year’s challenge are in the 2026 manual, which describes the requirements for college, secondary and college students to participate. After a competitive proposal selection process, the selected teams must respect the documentation milestones and undergo detailed opinions throughout the year of activity.
“These brilliant students take up a nine -month challenge for the launch of students who are testing their skills in engineering, design and teamwork,” said Kevin McGhaw, director of the NASA STEM commitment office. “They are part of the golden age of explorers – future scientists, engineers and innovators who will lead us in the future of spatial exploration.”
The launch of students will end with on -site events from April 22, 2026. The final launches are scheduled for April 25, in Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama, near the Marshall Space Flight Center in NASA in Huntsville, in Alabama.
Each year, NASA updates the university’s payload challenge to reflect current scientific and exploration missions. For the 2026 season, the challenge of payload will be inspired by Artemis missions, which seek to explore the moon for scientific discovery, technological progression and to learn to live and work on another world while we are preparing for human missions in Mars. The useful challenge for this year task of this year to university and university teams with the design, construction and management of a habitat to safely shelter four stems – non -lively objects representing astronauts – during prolonged missions. Habitat must include equipment capable of collecting and testing soil samples to support agricultural research operations.
Nearly 1,000 students participated in the students’ launch competition in 2025 – composing 71 teams across the United States. The teams launched their rockets at an altitude between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, while trying to succeed in landing and execute the useful load mission.
The former director of NASA Marshall, Art Stephenson, launched the launch of students in 2000 as a student rocket competition at the center. Only two university teams participated in the inaugural challenge – Alabama A & M University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The challenge continues to skyrocket with thousands of students participating in the STEM competition each year, and many continue with a career with NASA.
The NASA Marshall STEM engagement office is hosting a launch of students to offer students real world experiences that encourage them to pursue diplomas and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The launch of students is one of the many challenges of NASA Artemis students – a variety of activities that expose students to the knowledge and technologies necessary to achieve the agency’s artemis campaign objectives.
In addition to the STEM Next Generation STEM project of the NASA Office of STEM Commitment, NASA Space Operations Mission Direction, Northrop Grumman, National Space Club Huntsville, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Association of Rockery, Reativity Space and, Bastion Technologies, offer funding and leadership for the launching competition.
To find out more about the launch of students, visit:
www.nasa.gov/sudentlauncH
