NASA ORBIT (Opportunities in Research, Business, Innovation, and Technology for the Workforce)—a brand new national challenge inviting university and community college students to solve tomorrow’s challenges in space and on Earth.
How does the challenge work?
NASA ORBIT offers two innovation tracks:
- ORBIT Earth: Transform NASA patents into commercial products that solve terrestrial problems
- ORBIT Space: Design next-generation systems for NASA’s Moon to Mars missions
Students can participate in one or both tracks, with an optional Integration Bonus for bridging both challenges.
What’s in it for participants?
- $380,000 in total award funding
- Mentorship from NASA experts
- An in-person showcase event
- Exclusive accelerator program for finalists
For faculty advisors, NASA ORBIT can be integrated into curriculum as a capstone project, extra credit, research credit, an extracurricular activity, or to promote interdisciplinary collaboration for courses with a variety of majors.
There will be a free Open Information Webinar on Tuesday, January 20th and Monday, February 2nd for anyone who wants to learn more about participating: https://nasaorbit.org/all-events/
Registration is open until Feb. 9, 2026
Learn more at: https://nasaorbit.org/