NASA Selects University Teams as Finalists for Tech Contest

The RASC-AL competition challenges students to address technical and operational questions for future space exploration missions.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 6:48am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

NASA has selected 14 university teams from across the nation as finalists in the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition. The competition tasks students with designing innovative concepts that could further human life and work on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The finalists will further develop their proposals and present them at the 2026 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida.

Why it matters

The RASC-AL competition helps link academia and the aerospace community, fostering innovation, collaboration, and workforce development in support of NASA's long-term exploration goals. The student-developed concepts can also help expand NASA's thinking as the agency plans and refines future exploration missions.

The details

The 2026 RASC-AL competition invited university teams to develop proposals addressing four mission themes: Communications, Position, Navigation, and Time (CPNT) Architectures for Mars Surface Operations; Lunar Surface Power and Power Management and Distribution (PMAD) Architectures; Lunar Sample Return Concepts; and Lunar Technology Demonstrations Leveraging Common Infrastructure. Each team submitted an initial proposal paper and a video presentation, which were evaluated by a panel of NASA and industry experts.

  • The 2026 RASC-AL competition was held.
  • The finalists will present their comprehensive technical papers and oral presentations at the 2026 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, beginning on June 2.

The players

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

National Institute of Aerospace

The organization that administers the RASC-AL Competition on behalf of NASA.

Daniel Mazanek

The RASC-AL program sponsor and senior space systems engineer from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Dr. Christopher Jones

The RASC-AL program sponsor and chief technologist for the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA Langley.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The innovation and technical depth demonstrated this year are exemplary of the next generation of aerospace leaders.”

— Daniel Mazanek, RASC-AL program sponsor and senior space systems engineer from NASA's Langley Research Center

“The RASC-AL competition challenges students to address many of the same technical and operational questions we encounter working on Artemis, from surface infrastructure to mobility and resource utilization.”

— Dr. Christopher Jones, RASC-AL program sponsor and chief technologist for the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA Langley

What’s next

The finalists will further develop their concepts into comprehensive technical papers and oral presentations, which they will present at the 2026 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, beginning on June 2. The top-performing teams at the forum will be recognized for technical merit, innovation, and presentation excellence.

The takeaway

The RASC-AL competition helps foster innovation and collaboration between academia and the aerospace industry, supporting NASA's long-term exploration goals and developing the next generation of aerospace leaders.