Arizona/NASA Space Grant Consortium

08/19/2026

Announcing the 2026-27 COSMIC Capstone Challenge (C3)! The Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) is a nationwide coalition working to accelerate adoption of domestic in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities.

COSMIC’s C3 Challenge is a competition that invites students to develop conceptual missions & designs for spacecraft operations in-orbit or on the lunar surface.

Six challenge tracks are offered in 2026-27: (1) Orbital Manufacturing and Assembly; (2) Lunar Operations; (3) Orbital Servicing; (4) Construction; (5) In-Space for Earth; (6) Architecture of Autonomous Space Clusters

Registered teams will be paired with experienced mentors from industry, government, and research organizations who will guide students with meetings, provide problem-focused advice, and support milestone deliverables — culminating in a 24-minute final presentation at the C3 Final Showcase in April 2027.

Who Can Join: C3 is open to US-based college students. In addition to class-based teams, students can pursue C3 through student clubs, directed study or independent study.

Preferred registration date: September 11, 2026
Late Registration Date: October 12, 2026
Midpoint Showcase: Dec. 7-11, 2026
Presentation and Judging: April 12-16, 2027
Learn more at: https://cosmicspace.org/c3/

08/18/2026

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Student Challenge Registration Now Open!

Turns out, it actually takes more (a lot more) than rocket science!

Aerospace needs more than engineers and scientists. Technicians, manufacturing specialists, systems operators, programmers, and many other professionals play critical roles in the aerospace industry.

The NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) Student Challenge gives community college students the opportunity to explore NASA mission areas and discover how their education, skills, and career pathway connect to the aerospace workforce.

NCAS is specifically designed for a wide range of students, including non-traditional learners, part-time students, career and technical education students, and those pursuing workforce credentials or transfer pathways. Students can also earn part of a $625,000 prize purse!

Applications are open now and close on September 28. Apply at: https://nasa-ncas.org/student-registration/?mc_cid=1350baddb2&mc_eid=aa6f4488ac

08/17/2026

The Space Industry Internship Program, part of the Arizona Space Grant Consortium, offers an exceptional opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in Arizona’s growing space sector. This NASA-funded program connects undergraduate students with small to mid-sized companies in the space industry, where they can apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges while developing practical skills essential for their future careers.

Interns are placed in positions aligned with their field of study and career interests, allowing them to engage in meaningful, project-based work that brings their education to life. Participants gain valuable insight into what it’s like to work in the space industry, all while expanding their professional networks and building technical and workplace competencies.

Interns must be full-time undergraduate students at one of our affiliated Arizona institutions. Interns will work 10 hours per week at their designated industry site and will receive $20 per hour paid in monthly stipends of $1,000. The internship runs during the Fall 2026 semester, with the option to extend through Spring 2027, subject to industry approval.

Interested in learning more? Details and applications can be viewed at the link below. Apply between August 17-24th. Internships begin on or around September 14th, 2026.

https://spacegrant.arizona.edu/industry-internships

08/14/2026

Look who we spotted in the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab’s Weekly Update! 🚀🔴

Planetary Geosciences undergraduate Dora Elalaoui-Pinedo was a UA Space Grant Intern in 2023 and an Intern Advisor in 2024.

"This summer, Dora spent 10 weeks at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, participating in an undergraduate research experience program. Working with Drs. Janice Bishop and Lori Fenton, she studied Olympia Undae—the largest dune field on Mars. 🪐

The dunes of Olympia Undae are uniquely dark, young, and rich in gypsum, a mineral typically associated with much older Martian terrain. These characteristics raise fascinating questions about the region’s climate history. Dora used CRISM spectral data and HiRISE imagery to investigate the area."

Check out a few photos from her final presentation. 👏

We’re so proud to see Dora’s research taking her to new heights—and all the way to Mars! 🌌🔭

Photos and story credit: Dr. Mark Marley, UA LPL Department Head, weekly update.

08/12/2026

🚀 First Nations Launch is returning!

We’re excited to hear that the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium has received a $500,000 gift from Blue Origin to support the return and expansion of the First Nations Launch Indigenous high-power rocketry competition!

📅 Competition Dates: April 23–25, 2027
📍 Locations: Carthage College and Richard B**g State Recreation Area, Wisconsin
📜Registration Information: Coming in August 2026 so stay tuned!

Since 2010, First Nations Launch has brought together Indigenous students from across the U.S. and Canada to build and launch high-power rockets while connecting culture, community, and aerospace engineering.

Arizona teams, including students from Northern Arizona University, have participated in the competition and even brought home top prizes! 🏆🚀 We’re excited to see this incredible program return!

08/11/2026

🚀 Teams, get ready! The NASA TechRise Student Challenge opens September 2026! 🌎✨

Calling all 6th–12th grade students: this is your chance to design, build, and launch an experiment on a commercial suborbital flight! 🛰️

Working with an educator, student teams from U.S. public, private, and charter schools can submit their experiment ideas for a chance to:

💰 Receive $1,500 to build your experiment
🛠️ Get technical support from Future Engineers
🚀 Earn a spot on a NASA-sponsored flight with an industry provider

60 winning teams will be selected!

Have an idea that’s out of this world? 🌌 Start building your team and get ready to take your experiment to the next level.

Learn more at: https://www.futureengineers.org/nasatechrise

08/10/2026

🚀 BIG NEWS FROM ASU! 🌎🏆

On June 5, we shared that two ASU teams were participating in the NASA ORBIT Challenge. Today, we’re excited to share an incredible update:

🥇 A team from Arizona State University took home 1st Place in the ORBIT Earth Challenge!

The Sol Invictus Engineering team earned 1st Place in the Earth Track, plus, received the Integration Bonus Prize! 🎉

We’re especially proud that the team includes several current and past ASU Space Grant interns:

🌟 Anneli Sorensen — Space Grant
🌟 Dylan Banhart
🌟 Elvis Garcia Segundo
🌟 Mikko-Dakota Roberts — Space Grant
🌟 Pheona Gabrail — Space Grant
🌟 Raghavendra Murthy — Advisor

The NASA ORBIT Challenge empowers students to develop innovative solutions that advance NASA’s mission through two exciting pathways:

🌎 ORBIT Earth — Teams leverage NASA-owned patents or software to create products and services that address real-world challenges here on Earth.

🚀 ORBIT Space — Teams design mission-focused concepts that support current and future NASA exploration goals while addressing strategic needs in space.

Congratulations to the Sol Invictus Engineering team on this outstanding achievement! We’re proud to see ASU students and Space Grant interns reaching new heights. 🌟🚀

Photo Credit and to learn more: https://nasaorbit.org/winners/

08/07/2026

🚀 Earlier this summer, we introduced you to Eli Martin, an Arizona Space Grant–supported NASA Center Intern from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering.

✨ Now, after an incredible 12 weeks at NASA Johnson Space Center, today is Eli's final day of his internship. Here's what he had to say about his experience:

💬 "During my internship at Johnson Space Center, I used systems engineering to help design and test systems going into space. After learning how NASA defines requirements and creates systems models, I put those skills into practice by modeling a small mission to test spaceflight hardware. This experience has inspired me to pursue a career in systems engineering while I save for a master's program. I'm incredibly grateful to the Arizona Space Grant—without its support, I wouldn't have had this amazing opportunity!"

🎉 Congratulations, Eli! We're so proud of all you've accomplished and can't wait to see where your journey takes you next. 🚀🌎

07/21/2026

Have you been inspired by the NASA Psyche Mission? Become a Psyche Inspired Intern!

The Psyche spacecraft launched Oct. 13, 2023, on a 6-year mission to reach and explore a unique metal-rich asteroid with the same name.

So how can you get involved in the mission? Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from ANY discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works.

Application Deadline: Friday, August 28, 2026, at 12 p.m. (PDT)

Eligibility Criteria: Full-time enrolled undergraduate students at universities and community colleges in the United States or its territories, regardless of major.

What will Psyche Inspired interns do?
Psyche Inspired interns will use their creative talents to share, explain, and highlight the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission.

Check out some of the inspiring artwork completed by former interns!
Image 1: Crater Crawler by Martha Quirie
Image 2: The Memory of a Metal World by Remy Cantrelle
Image 3: The Pursuit of Psyche by Lachan Morlan
Image 4: The Space Between by Julia Stephens

This is a great opportunity to be part of NASA in an exciting, impactful way! Apply today at: https://psyche.ssl.berkeley.edu/get-involved/psyche-inspired/psyche-inspired-application-gold-class/

07/20/2026

💫Join NASA TechLeap Prize – Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge!

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 29

Application Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 12

Managed by NASA's Flight Opportunities program, this challenge aims to advance persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. Applicants are invited to propose payloads that can interact with, be manipulated by, or be reconfigured by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit.

🌙Up to three winners will be selected, with the opportunity to win up to $500,000 each across three phases. NASA intends to fly these payloads aboard an orbital spacecraft that will rendezvous with the Fly Foundational Robots (FFR) platform. The FFR mission is expected to launch in late 2027, and the TechLeap payloads are slated to launch in early 2028.

Visit the challenge website, linked below, to read the application requirements, rules, technical guidelines, and scoring rubric that will be used to assess all valid applications.

Advancing persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. NASA Flight Opportunities invites applicants to propose payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. Register for the challenge by July 29 Video for illustrative purposes only About the....