NASA TechRise Student Challenge ($1,500 Prize for Winners)

Applications are now open for the NASA TechRise Student Challenge, a nationwide STEM contest for students in grades 6 to 12 at U.S. public, private, and charter schools, including schools in U.S. territories. Teams design a science or technology experiment to fly on a high altitude balloon under a NASA sponsored flight test.

The deadline is November 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT. A total of 60 winning teams will each receive $1,500 to build their experiment, a starter kit with a flight box, a spot on a NASA sponsored flight, and virtual mentoring. No experience is needed, and no entry fee is mentioned on the official page. You can check out BS, MS, PhD and postdoc positions here.

Key Details:

Challenge Name: NASA TechRise Student Challenge
Who Can Enter: Students in grades 6 to 12
Prize for Winners: $1,500 per winning team, plus a starter kit and a spot on a NASA sponsored flight
Number of Winning Teams: 60
Entries Due: November 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT
Experience Needed: None
Open to All Nationalities: Not applicable. The challenge is for U.S. schools only

Interested in More Positions? Follow links below

About the NASA TechRise Student Challenge:

This contest gives students a hands on chance to build skills in engineering, computing, electronics, and more. These are skills that America’s technical workforce needs. Students team up with their schoolmates, guided by an educator, and come up with an experiment idea. The best ideas are selected to fly on a NASA sponsored suborbital commercial flight test.

The challenge is managed by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program at the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and it is run by Future Engineers.

About the High Altitude Balloon:

This year, the flight vehicle is a high altitude balloon. Here is what your experiment can expect during the flight:

About 4 to 8 hours of flight time
An altitude of 70,000 to 95,000 feet
Exposure to Earth’s upper atmosphere and radiation
Perspective views of our planet

Watch the official videos and read the slide deck to understand the conditions better:

Also Check: NASA ORBIT Challenge 2027

What They Offers:

Each of the 60 winning teams receives a full prize package to turn their idea into a real experiment:

$1,500 to build the experiment
A starter kit, including a flight box in which to build the experiment
An assigned spot to test the experiment on a NASA sponsored flight
Virtual mentoring and technical support from Future Engineers advisors during the build phase
Weekly team meetings with Future Engineers experts during the build period

Beyond the prizes, students gain real skills in engineering, computing, and electronics. Mentors help teams learn or improve the skills they need, so even beginners can succeed.

Eligibility Criteria:

The challenge is for schools in U.S. states and territories
Students must be in sixth through 12th grade
Students must attend a U.S. public, private, or charter school
All team members must attend the same school. They can be from one grade or from many grades
A team needs at least four students and one team lead. There is no maximum number of students
The team lead must be a teacher or an employee of the school, and this person submits the proposal
Each proposal must be unique. Schools and educators can submit unlimited proposals for unlimited teams

Homeschools are not eligible, unless they are affiliated with a public, private, or charter school that meets the insurance requirements in the official rules. Classes, clubs, and school teams can all take part.

Also Check: NASA Paid Internship Programs 2027

Judging Criteria:

Proposals are scored out of 100 points:

40 points: Impact of the experiment on the team’s education
20 points: Connection of the experiment to NASA’s mission
20 points: Alignment of the experiment to the team’s hypothesis
20 points: Design of the experiment meets the design guidelines

Important Dates:

September 3, 2026: Contest opens
September 22, 2026: Student virtual field trip
November 2, 2026: Entries close (11:59 PM PT)
January 2027: Prize boxes sent
January 19, 2027: Winners announced and experiment build begins
May 18, 2027: Winner showcase
May 19, 2027: Last day to mail experiments to Future Engineers
Summer 2027: Experiments launch on the flight test vehicle

Also Check: NASA STEM Opportunities and Activities for Students

How to Apply:

Follow these five steps to enter the challenge. All entries must be submitted by November 2, 2026.

Step 1: Form a Team and Register

Make a team with at least four students and one team lead (a teacher or school employee). The team lead should register as soon as possible using the Teacher Signup button. This helps the organizers keep your team informed about the challenge.

Step 2: Review the Proposal Template, Educator Guide, and Rules

It is important to understand the requirements. Read these three documents before you begin:

Step 3: Learn About Balloons

Watch the video to learn about high altitude balloon flights, conditions in Earth’s atmosphere, and the types of data that can be collected at 70,000 to 95,000 feet. From climate research to technology testing in conditions similar to space, there is a lot to explore in the stratosphere.

Step 4: Brainstorm and Design Your Experiment

Brainstorm. There are many experiment ideas to consider. These resources help your team think about what to test on a balloon:

Design. Think about what you would use to bring your idea to life, from motors to sensors to microcontrollers. You do not need to build your idea unless your team is selected as a winner, and you do not need previous experience with these components.

Step 5: Submit Your Proposal

Write up your experiment idea using the NASA TechRise Proposal Example and Template. Students give the completed proposal to their teacher. The teacher or school employee must then submit it on or before November 2, 2026, through their Future Engineers dashboard.

Official Website

Apply Now

Helpful Resources:

Always check the official challenge page before you submit, in case any details change.

Also Check: NASA Space Apps Challenge with Certificate, Global Hackathon