NASA wants student’s ideas for imagining the life on the moon and NASA also offers payment for best ideas. On August 14, 2026, NASA announced the 2027 edition of its Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage Competition (RASC-AL). This competition invites U.S based collegiate teams for asking innovative ideas that could help the agency to shape the future of human on the lunar surface. This is also a big opportunity for students because this isn’t a classroom exercise. The ideas submit through RASC-AL, analyze directly by the NASA and use for long term planning for Moon exploration and also the best ideas will observe by industry experts.
What Is RASC-AL Competition?
RASC-AL is NASA’s one of the longest running students innovation competition. It has been running since 2002. This competition connects student’s innovation to real technology and challenges. It uses student’s creativity for advancing the space exploration. According to the NASA’s acting cross-program integration lead for the Advanced Research and Technology Division, Gabe Merrill, University’s top researchers from all over the country participate on RASC-AL competition. It gives students to design the concept for living on the moon’s surface and also gives valuable experience to future aerospace innovators or leaders.
“The competition showcases the technical excellence and creativity of the next generation of explorers and innovators” said by the Chris Jones, chief technologist, Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton Virginia. The concepts developed by the RASC-AL competition are truly remarkable, showcasing their abilities and contributing to the innovation portfolio of NASA.
Theme of 2027 RASC-AL competition
In 2027 RASC-AL competition focuses on the lunar South Pole region. NASA takes great interest in this area for future exploration. It contains some shadowed craters near the lunar poles, where sunlight never reaches. These cold regions are important for resource exploration because there is possibility to find water in ice form.
This competition contains 4 themes; students must submit their proposals around one of them.
Enabling Extreme Exploration
Students will develop their ideas which help astronauts and robotic technology to operate in most difficult environment on moon.
Transit Pathway Construction
In this theme, students will create routés and infrastructure across the lunar surface.
Lunar Resource Exploration
Students will develop new ideas to explore the permanently shadowed regions of lunar craters in search of resources like ice water.
Smart and Resilient Lunar Habitat
Here, students will develop expandable and intelligent infrastructure for future astronauts.
Key Dates and What Teams Need to DO?
The 2027 RASC-AL competition timing is scheduled. Teams which are interested in participating are require to submit a non-binding notice of intent by Tuesday, October13, 2026. Then NASA will held Q&A session with experts on October 27, 2026. Complete challenge proposal along with required videos submission are due February 24, 2027. These proposals should contain innovative solutions; including original engineering based on one the four competition themes.
At last NASA will select 14 finalist teams and each will get $7,500 as wining price to cover all their expenses regarding their research. The finalist will further promoted in final phase, where they develop concepts, writing technical papers and creating posters. Then they will present their work to NASA and industry experts at the 2027 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, June 7 to June 10, 2027. The top two teams will also rewarded an additional monetary prizes and an invitation opportunity to present their ideas at an aerospace conference later in 2027.
The RASC-AL competition is administrated by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of ANSA’s Advance Research and Technology Division, within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate.
How to Apply
Interested student teams are encouraged to visit the RASC-AL website at rascal.nianet.org for details and eligibility requirements. The deadline for notice of intent is this October 13, 2026.
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