NASA Competition Invites Students to Help Imagine a Future Enabled by Lunar Technologies
NASA’s 2027 RASC-AL competition invites U.S. college teams to propose lunar technology concepts for sustained operations at the Moon’s South Pole, with submissions due by February 24, 2027.
NASA has opened the 2027 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition, seeking original student proposals that could shape future lunar exploration. Teams are asked to develop concepts addressing operations in the Moon’s South Pole region, including infrastructure and prospecting in permanently shadowed craters. The competition aims to foster innovation while connecting academic research with NASA’s engineering challenges. Proposals must align with one of four specified themes and demonstrate original engineering and analysis.
The competition will select up to 14 finalist teams, each receiving a $7,500 award to further develop their concepts. Finalists will present their work at the 2027 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, from June 7 to 10, 2027, where a panel of NASA and industry experts will evaluate their submissions. The top two teams will earn additional monetary awards and opportunities to present at an aerospace conference later in 2027. Teams must submit a non-binding notice of intent by October 13, 2025, and proposals are due February 24, 2027.
NASA officials emphasized the competition’s role in identifying emerging talent and advancing lunar technology. Chris Jones, chief technologist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, stated that student concepts contribute to NASA’s mission progress. Gabe Merrill, acting cross-program integration lead, noted that the competition accelerates technology development by engaging university researchers with NASA’s challenges. The program has operated annually since 2002, fostering collaboration among universities, NASA, and industry.
Administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of NASA’s Advanced Research and Technology Division, the competition is managed under NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation. Detailed guidelines and eligibility requirements are available on the official RASC-AL competition website. Interested teams are encouraged to review the submission process and participate in a Q&A session with NASA experts scheduled for October 27, 2025.