NASA Opened Registration for ORBIT Student Challenge
The second season of the national student competition features an expanded prize pool of $500,000 for innovative projects.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Scholarships
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NASA has officially opened registration for the 2026-2027 ORBIT student challenge, which invites participants to develop new technical solutions. The program features an increased total prize fund of $500,000 to support student research.
Why it matters
The agency intends to build a pipeline of interdisciplinary talent by incentivizing students to address complex technical problems. This effort aims to drive innovations that support ongoing space exploration goals like the Artemis program.
The competition offers $500,000 in total prize funding across two specific tracks. Registration for the 2026-2027 season is currently open and will remain available until the deadline on November 16, 2026.
The players
NASA
The United States government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aeronautics research.
The details
Students can participate in the ORBIT Earth track, which requires the selection of a NASA-owned patent, or the ORBIT Space track, which focuses on supporting the Artemis program. Participants conduct research and feasibility analyses before top teams present their models to expert judges at a Pitch Showcase.
Timeline
The 2026-2027 season covers the duration of the competition.
Student registration closes on November 16, 2026.
Culture Shift
This program reflects a broader move toward crowdsourcing technical solutions for NASA's Artemis program. By bridging the gap between classroom research and real-world aerospace challenges, the initiative signals a shift toward collaborative, interdisciplinary problem solving.
Students and faculty can gain access to significant research funding and professional exposure through the new Faculty Advisors Choice and Next Steps awards. Adopting this challenge requires significant time investment for research, modeling, and preparing for the final Pitch Showcase.
The takeaway
Students interested in participating should begin forming teams early to accommodate the research-intensive nature of the ORBIT tracks. This competition provides a direct pathway for participants to contribute to active NASA objectives while competing for significant prize money.
What happens next
The registration period for the ORBIT student challenge will close on November 16, 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about academic opportunities in the Scholarships section.
More information
View the full NASA ORBIT competition official rules for complete registration details.
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