NASA has $1 million for students who can help design its Moon Base: Check eligibility, application process & deadline

NASA has opened a $1 million student challenge for high school and post-secondary students in the US to help design its planned Moon Base, according to a post on NASA’s official website. The challenge was announced on Sunday during a MAX POWER event at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.

The NASA Moon Base Student Challenge will ask student teams to come up with ideas for real problems linked to living and working on the Moon. Registration is open until January 25, 2027, through the NASA STEM Gateway

The challenge will have multiple phases and will cover six areas: power generation and storage, construction, life-support systems, surface mobility, communications networks, and astronaut safety.

NASA is building a Moon Base in the lunar South Pole region where astronauts will live, work and explore. A permanent human presence on the Moon is also meant to help prepare for future crewed missions to Mars.

“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,” said Isaacman.

No special technical experience needed

The challenge is designed to help students build skills that can be useful for careers in the space industry. Students will work on tasks such as trade studies, concept proposals and stakeholder briefings.

The challenge is open to students from technical, vocational and different academic backgrounds. They do not need prior specialised engineering or technical experience to take part.

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How to register

Students who want to take part must register through the NASA STEM Gateway. The deadline to register is January 25, 2027.

“Students are the next generation of explorers and innovators. Their unique perspectives are key to helping us envision a future away from Earth, and I’m excited to see the creativity and ingenuity spurred by this challenge,” said Elaine Ho, associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters.

The Office of STEM Engagement designed the challenge with NASA’s Moon Base Program.

The Institute of Competition Sciences will administer the challenge through a contract with NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation within the agency’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate.