NASA Selects University Finalists for Technology Concepts Competition

NASA selected 14 university teams from across the nation as finalists in the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition. This NASA challenge tasks students to design innovative concepts that could further human life and work on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The competition links academia and the aerospace community, fostering innovation, collaboration, and workforce development in support of NASA’s long-term exploration goals.

“The innovation and technical depth demonstrated this year are exemplary of the next generation of aerospace leaders,” said Daniel Mazanek, RASC-AL program sponsor and senior space systems engineer from NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “The strongest teams demonstrated not only creativity, but also the disciplined analysis and systems engineering required to develop credible solutions for space exploration challenges facing the agency.”

The 2026 RASC-AL competition invited university teams to develop technically rigorous proposals addressing one of 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 topic reflects relevant areas of exploration technology development aligned with NASA’s Artemis program and long-term human missions to Mars.

The 2026 RASC-AL Finalists are:

CPNT Architectures for Mars Surface Operations

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  MELIORA: Mars Exploration Layered Infrastructure for Operations, Research, and Advancement
• University of Texas, Austin
  Project Pharos
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  The Mars Pylon Network (MPN)

Lunar Surface Power and Power Management and PMAD Architectures

• Dartmouth College
  FLORA: Flywheel for Lunar Operations – Redundancy Architecture
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
  Project AUREVO: Advanced Utilization of Resources for Energy & Viability Off-Earth
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm (ECLIPSE)
• University of Hawaii, Manoa with University of Hawaii, Hilo
  Project PETAL: Power Energy Transfer Architecture for the Lunar surface

Lunar Sample Return Concept

• South Dakota State University
  SELENE: Sample Extraction of Lunar Elements for Network Entry
• Texas A&M University
  TAMU NOVA Lunar Mission
• University of Michigan
  LASSO – Lunar Autonomous Sample Staging Operations

Lunar Technology Demonstrations Leveraging Common Infrastructure

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  CHEESEBURGER: CLPS-enabled Highly-autonomous End-to-End isru-System Evaluations to Build Understanding and Resilient Growth by Experimenting with Regolith
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs Léonard de Vinci
  MATRIX: Mining and Advanced Transformation of Regolith for Infrastructure and eXpansion
• University of Maryland
  Project LILI: Lunar Infrastructure & Landing Innovation
• University of Texas, Austin
  Demonstration of Up-scalable Surface Treatment for Earth-Moon Economy (DUSTEE)

Each team submitted an initial proposal paper and a two-minute video presentation, which were evaluated by a review panel of NASA and aerospace industry experts.

“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,” added Dr. Christopher Jones, RASC-AL program sponsor and chief technologist for the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA Langley.  “The concepts developed through the competition help expand NASA’s thinking as we plan and refine future exploration missions.”

As finalists, each team will further develop their concept into a comprehensive technical paper and oral presentation, culminating in an in-person showcase beginning on June 2 at the 2026 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida. During the Forum, students will present their work to NASA leaders, industry professionals, and fellow finalist teams, gaining valuable feedback and professional experience in systems-level mission design. The top-performing teams at the forum will be recognized for technical merit, innovation, and presentation excellence.

NASA’s RASC-AL Competition is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace. The RASC-AL Competition is sponsored by NASA’s Strategy and Architecture Office within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, and by the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at NASA Langley. The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate, manages the challenge.

For more information about RASC-AL, visit RASCAL.nianet.org.