The NASA App Development Challenge (ADC) is a coding challenge in which NASA presents technical problems to middle and high school students seeking student contributions to deep space exploration missions. By responding to the ADC, students take a part directly in the Artemis Generation endeavors to land American astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

In this year's challenge, teams will code a visualization of the South Pole region of the Moon to assist in mission planning and exploration activities. Teams will:

1. Utilize provided lunar terrain data to create a visualization that displays essential information for navigation and communication.
2. Visualize both height and slope variations on the lunar surface to help better aide in route planning.
3. Utilize wayfinding to plot the best path between a landing site and a destination site.
4. Identify 10 communication link checkpoints for communication with Earth.

Teams will be separated into two categories, one for middle school and one for high school. High school teams will calculate elevation and azimuth angles to include in their visualization as well as identify and defend a selection for landing and destination/exploration sites.

Event Date(s): April 12-15, 2023

Registration has closed for the 2022-2023 season. Check back in the late summer of 2023 for information about next year’s challenge!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

Inspired by NASA's Apollo Moon landings over 50 years ago, the Great Lunar Expedition for Everyone (GLEE) will be a catalyst for a new generation of space missions and explorers. This scientific and technological mission to the Moon will deploy 500 LunaSats to the lunar surface to conduct local and distributed science missions. LunaSats are tiny spacecraft with an integrated sensor suite that will be programmed by teams of students all over the world for a mission of their own design. These teams will be mentored by GLEE program staff through the entire design, build, test, launch, and data gathering process. GLEE will be free to all teams that are selected for participation. From hands-on activities to a global citizen science network, GLEE is the next step to inspire and engage the world in a truly global mission to the Moon.

GLEE is hosting a remote, self-paced workshop for students to work hands-on with their very own LunaSat, a spacecraft with solar panels, RF, and science sensors. Teams will be able to work through the 10 hands-on modules learning about the science sensors onboard and the functionality of the LunaSat.

The application window for GLEE has closed. However, there are other ways you can get involved. Check out the GLEE website for more information.

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge features an engineering design challenge to engage students in the next phase of human space exploration. The annual event challenges students to create a human-powered vehicle designed to traverse the simulated surface of another world and complete mission tasks along the way. Student teams design, build and test technologies that enable rovers to perform in a variety of environments.

*Event Date(s): Apr. 21—22, 2023

The application window for HERC 2023 has closed.

*Subject to Change

Event Location: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama

Eligibility:

• Open to high school and college students worldwide.
• Requires a mentor age 21 or older.

Visit the website to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (Micro-g NExT) challenges teams to design, build and test devices or tools that address a current, authentic space exploration challenge identified by NASA. The overall experience includes hands-on engineering design, test operations and public outreach. Test operations are conducted in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a NASA training facility where astronauts train for spacewalks.

The application window for Micro-g NExT 2023 has closed. Check back in the late summer of 2023 for information about next year’s challenge!

Event Location: NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas

Eligibility:

• Open to full-time undergraduate students (junior college, community college, college or university) at the time the proposal is submitted.
• Requires U.S. citizenship for team members.
• Requires a supervising faculty member.

Visit the website or the frequently asked questions to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

The Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge for 2023 provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to design, build, and demonstrate technologies that will enable the production of lunar infrastructure from ISRU-derived metals found on the Moon. Key infrastructure products desired are storage vessels for liquids and gases, extrusions, pipes, power cables, and supporting structures (i.e. roads, landing pads, etc.).

Teams can submit proposals that focus on any part of the metal product production pipeline* from prospecting to testing.

Proposal Deadline: January 24, 2023

Event Location: NASA’s Glenn Research Center

Eligibility:

• Open to undergraduate and graduate students at accredited U.S.-based colleges and universities officially affiliated with their state’s Space Grant Consortium. Non-Space Grant affiliated colleges/universities may partner with a Space Grant affiliated academic institution who takes a primary role on the project (i.e., the Space-Grant affiliated university must submit the proposal on behalf of the joint team). Minority Serving Institutions are encouraged to apply.
• Open to U.S. citizens attending U.S.-based universities.
• Requires a primary advisor from a space grant affiliated school (the lead institution). *Any additional advisors can be from academia or industry.

Visit the website or the frequently asked questions to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

First Nations Launch (FNL) is an annual competition offering Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) collegiate chapters the opportunity to demonstrate engineering and design skills through direct application in high-power rocketry. An experience unique to Native American communities, FNL allows teams to conceive, design, fabricate and launch high-power rockets as part of this competitive challenge.

Event Date(s): April 28-30, 2023

The application window for First Nations Launch 2023 has closed.

Event Location: Richard Bong State Recreational Area, Kansasville, Wisconsin, and Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Eligibility:

• Undergraduate students from TCUs and AISES collegiate chapters.
• Teams must have a faculty advisor and team mentor.

Visit the website to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

NASA Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS) challenges students to design and create spacesuit information displays within augmented reality (AR) environments. As part of the application process, teams must submit a letter of intent and a proposal complete with technical, outreach and administrative sections.

*SUITS Test Week May 18-23, 2023

The application window for SUITS 2023 has closed. Check back in the late summer of 2023 for information about next year’s challenge!

*Subject to Change

Event Location: Student participation is virtual and onsite this year. Five students and one faculty advisor from each selected team will be invited to the test week in Houston, Texas. Exact testing location will be provided.

Eligibility:

• Full-time undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at U.S. institutions of higher learning.
• Team members must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents to attend on-site testing activities.
• Support team members may be university students of any level, faculty members, professional consultants, etc.

Visit the website or the frequently asked questions to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.

Student Launch challenges student teams to design, build and fly a high-powered rocket containing a science or engineering payload. Teams complete a series of design reviews that mirror the NASA engineering design life cycle. Teams must successfully complete a Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Flight Readiness Review and Launch Readiness Review, which include safety briefings, analyses of vehicle and payload systems and flight test data.

*Event Date(s): April 13-15, 2023

The application window for Student Launch 2023 has closed. Check back in the summer of 2023 for information about next year’s challenge!

*Subject to Change

Event Location: Two options in 2022-2023 — NASA Launch Complex (with NASA in Huntsville, Alabama) or a commercial spaceport launch site (i.e. a local launch field).

Eligibility:

• Open to teams from U.S. colleges and universities, high schools and middle schools. Note: High school and middle school teams must first qualify by placing in the top 25 of The American Rocketry Challenge or the top 3 of the Rockets For Schools Class II competition. A high school and middle school educator or mentor from each qualified team must participate in the summer Advanced Rocketry Workshop.
• Open to U.S. citizens and international students. *Any foreign national team members must be identified by the PDR and may or may not have access to certain activities during launch week due to security restrictions.
• Requires an adult mentor as a team member throughout the project.

Visit the website to learn more about the challenge.

Get Started!

Note: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation continues to evolve, NASA will closely monitor and follow guidelines from federal, state and community officials regarding on-site competitions. Protecting the health and safety of team members, staff and judges is our primary priority. Challenge managers will be in contact with participants on specifics and changes to the challenges, if any.