RASC-AL

NASA is inviting the next generation of collegiate innovators to envision bold concepts that expand the frontiers of human exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond through the 2026 NASA Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition. RASC-AL drives innovation in aerospace system design, mission analogs, and technology prototyping by connecting universities with NASA and industry partners.

The competition seeks U.S.-based undergraduate and graduate teams, along with their faculty advisors, to develop novel ideas that strengthen our capabilities for lunar and Martian exploration. This year’s themes focus on advancing systems and technologies that support operations on the lunar surface and improving how humanity conducts missions and returns data from the surface of Mars.