Deadline: November 3, 2025
Are you a student passionate about science, technology, and space exploration? The NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025 is now open, offering middle and high school students across the United States and its territories an exciting chance to design experiments that will fly to the edge of space.
This challenge is a unique opportunity for young innovators to gain hands-on experience with NASA-sponsored flights while exploring STEM in a practical and inspiring way.
About the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025
The NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025 invites teams from grades 6–12 in U.S. public, private, and charter schools (as well as eligible homeschools) to develop a science or technology experiment. Each team must include at least four students with a teacher or school staff member serving as the team lead.
Winning experiments will fly on one of two NASA TechRise flight platforms:
- Suborbital Spaceship
– Provides about 3 minutes of microgravity. - High-Altitude Balloon
– Spends 4–8 hours at altitudes between 70,000 and 95,000 feet, exposing experiments to unique atmospheric and radiation conditions.
This is a rare opportunity for students to test their creativity, problem-solving, and research skills while contributing to the future of space and atmospheric exploration.
Benefits of Participation
Winners of the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025 will receive:
- $1,500 funding to build their experiment.
- A starter kit, including a “flight box.”
- A flight opportunity aboard a NASA-sponsored high-altitude balloon or suborbital vehicle.
- Technical guidance and mentorship from Future Engineers advisors.
A total of 60 winning teams will be selected for this edition of the challenge.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025:
- Teams must be from U.S. schools (public, private, charter, or eligible homeschools).
- Teams must serve grades 6–12.
- Each team must have a minimum of 4 students, led by a teacher or school staff member.
- Homeschool teams must be affiliated with a recognised school per the official rules and insurance requirements.
Judging Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria (100 points total):
- Educational Impact – 40 points
- Connection to NASA’s Mission – 20 points
- Relevance to Hypothesis – 20 points
- Experiment Design & Feasibility – 20 points
Deadline
The deadline for applications is November 3, 2025. Interested schools and teams are encouraged to start their proposals early to ensure they meet all requirements.
How to Apply
Ready to take part in this exciting challenge?
For guidance on proposal drafting, refining, and review, contact us today to ensure your team puts forward a strong and competitive application.
