Winners Announced for 2026 Human Lander Challenge

NASA announced the top student-developed solutions for environmental control and life support systems in the 2026 Human Lander Challenge, capping months of university research aimed at supporting the Artemis program’s return of American astronauts to the Moon in 2028.

The competition concluded June 25 following final technical presentations near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Since September 2025, student teams from across the nation designed systems-level approaches to improve the performance and reliability of life support technologies essential for deep space missions.

Finalists gathered at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on June 22 to present their work to a panel of NASA and aerospace industry experts and to peers during a collaborative poster session, and the event closed with an awards ceremony recognizing the top performers among 12 finalists.

United States, Huntsville, Alabama

nasa, lander challenge, artemis program, moon 2028, environmental control, life support, student teams, finalists, huntsville, marshall