NASA TechRise Student Challenge

By Heidi BjerkeUncategorized

NASA TechRise Student Challenge: Design an Experiment for Flight

Middle and high school students have an opportunity to take their ideas to new heights through the NASA TechRise Student Challenge.

TechRise is a nationwide NASA competition for students in grades 6–12. Working in teams with an educator, students design a science or technology experiment that could be tested on a NASA-sponsored commercial flight test.

For the 2026–2027 challenge, selected teams will design experiments to fly aboard a high-altitude balloon operated by Aerostar. The balloon will reach approximately 70,000 feet, exposing student experiments to conditions in Earth’s upper atmosphere that cannot easily be replicated through ground-based testing.

What do winning teams receive?

NASA will select 60 winning teams. Each winning team will receive:

  • $1,500 to build its experiment
  • Technical support and mentorship
  • A flight box in which to build the payload
  • The opportunity to test the completed experiment on a NASA-sponsored flight

Students will have the opportunity to work through a process similar to professional researchers and engineers—from developing an idea and creating a proposal to building, testing, and collecting data from an experiment.

No previous experience is required to participate.

Who can participate?

The challenge is open to teams of students in grades 6–12 attending U.S. public, private, or charter schools, including schools in U.S. territories. Students work under an educator’s guidance.

Important Dates

Proposal deadline: November 2, 2026
Winners announced: January 2027
Payload development: January–May 2027
Flight testing: Summer 2027

NASA TechRise gives students an opportunity to develop practical skills in science, technology, engineering, and problem-solving while gaining firsthand experience with the process of turning an idea into a testable experiment. These experiences can help students explore pathways into the aerospace and technology workforce.

Learn more and find proposal resources: NASA TechRise Student Challenge