NASA Announces Winners of 2026 University Innovation Competition

Massachusetts Institute of Technology took first place in the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition with Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm. A second MIT team placed overall with Mars Exploration Layered Infrastructure for Operations, Research, and Advancement, while Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University finished third with the Mars Pylon Network.

The contest challenges students to bridge gaps in aerospace technology by innovating new system concepts and prototypes. The competition supports NASA’s workforce development priorities by giving university teams hands-on experience in mission architecture development, systems engineering, and technical communication.

“The winning teams demonstrated how academic innovation can support Artemis mission goals,” said Daniel Mazanek, program sponsor for RASC-AL and senior space systems engineer, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

United States, Hampton, Virginia

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