NASA asks students to help design a moon base in $1 million challenge
The competition is open to U.S. high school and college teams, with ideas ranging from how to power the base to how astronauts will get around.
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How do you keep a moon base powered when the sun dips behind a crater rim? That’s one problem students can tackle in NASA’s new $1 million Moon Base Student Challenge.
NASA announced the competition Nov. 8 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Teams from U.S. high schools, colleges and other postsecondary schools can submit ideas in six areas: power, construction, life support, transportation, communications and astronaut safety.
In this image provided by NASA, the Artemis II crew captured this view as the Earth sets behind the Moon during a lunar flyby, Monday, April 6, 2026. (NASA via AP)
NASA plans to build the base near the moon’s south pole, where the sun remains low on the horizon and conditions vary dramatically over short distances. Some elevated areas receive extended periods of sunlight that could help power a long-term outpost, while nearby permanently shadowed craters never see direct sunlight and can plunge to around minus 334 degrees Fahrenheit.
The extreme contrasts in temperature, sunlight and terrain make the region one of the harshest environments in the solar system. NASA says establishing a sustained presence there will help scientists and engineers prepare for future crewed missions to Mars.
“Ultimately, Moon Base is for them, people who will experience a world where humans are on the Moon to stay,” said Carlos García-Galán, manager of NASA’s Moon Base Program.
NASA is also taking applications for its next astronaut class through Dec. 3. The students entering the moon base challenge get to think about what future crews will need when they arrive.
Got an idea for keeping the lights on through a long lunar shadow? Find a coach and put together a team of two to five students. Register by Jan. 25, 2027. First proposals are due Feb. 22.
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