. NASA ORBIT 2026-27 – Institute of Competition Sciences

NASA ORBIT 2026-27

Undergraduate, Graduate
Aerospace Engineering, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Invention, Physics, Science, STEM, Technology
National
0
Participants
0
Teams
0
Schools
1
Badges to Earn
The NASA ORBIT Challenge invites university and community college students nationwide to work with real NASA intellectual property and mission challenges. Choose your path: develop commercial applications of NASA patents that solve problems here on Earth (ORBIT Earth), or design next-generation technologies for space exploration (ORBIT Space). The most ambitious teams can pursue both through the optional Integration Bonus. Compete for up to $500,000 in prizes, receive mentorship from NASA experts, and present your work at an in-person showcase. Finalists gain access to an exclusive accelerator program designed to launch careers in STEM and entrepreneurship.

Competition Process

The NASA ORBIT Challenge offers two pathways for teams to choose from, each aligned with a different dimension of NASA’s mission:

Track 1: ORBIT Earth

Teams leverage NASA-owned patents or software to propose new or improved products or services that address terrestrial needs and offer a clear path to real-world impact.

Track 2: ORBIT Space

Teams design mission-aligned concepts that support current or future NASA exploration goals, grounded in technical feasibility and relevance to NASA’s strategic gaps.
In addition, teams may pursue an “Optional Integration Bonus,” blending the strengths of both tracks. This allows participants to demonstrate how a solution can serve Earth and space simultaneously, showing the interdisciplinary thinking that drives NASA’s most groundbreaking innovations.

Judging Criteria

Scoring rubrics for each Phase can be found in the NASA ORBIT Project Guide (coming November 16).

Awards & Recognition

1st Place

Team Award · $30,000

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges.

Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinking badge is awarded to students who earn recognition in competitions that demonstrate their ability to evaluate complex problems, challenge assumptions, adapt to new information, and devise logical solutions.   Associated skills: Document decision-making throughout a project; provide a detailed breakdown of results; analyze points of failure and adapt to setbacks; develop innovative ways to communicate or display information.

2nd Place

Team Award · $25,000

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges.

Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinking badge is awarded to students who earn recognition in competitions that demonstrate their ability to evaluate complex problems, challenge assumptions, adapt to new information, and devise logical solutions.   Associated skills: Document decision-making throughout a project; provide a detailed breakdown of results; analyze points of failure and adapt to setbacks; develop innovative ways to communicate or display information.

3rd Place

Team Award · $15,000

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges.

Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinking badge is awarded to students who earn recognition in competitions that demonstrate their ability to evaluate complex problems, challenge assumptions, adapt to new information, and devise logical solutions.   Associated skills: Document decision-making throughout a project; provide a detailed breakdown of results; analyze points of failure and adapt to setbacks; develop innovative ways to communicate or display information.

Finalist

Team Award · $15,000

This award is bestowed on teams recognized as finalists in either category: ORBIT Space or ORBIT Earth.

This award counts toward these ICS Academic Badges.

Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking

The Critical Thinking badge is awarded to students who earn recognition in competitions that demonstrate their ability to evaluate complex problems, challenge assumptions, adapt to new information, and devise logical solutions.   Associated skills: Document decision-making throughout a project; provide a detailed breakdown of results; analyze points of failure and adapt to setbacks; develop innovative ways to communicate or display information.

Participate

Website: https://nasaorbit.org/

Managing Organization: NASA OSTEM & NASA MUREP

Eligibility:
NASA welcomes applications from accredited U.S.-based community colleges, colleges, or universities. Teams may be a combination of full-time or part-time undergraduate and/or graduate students and can include senior capstone students, clubs, multi-university teams, or multi-disciplinary teams, as long as all team members meet the eligibility requirements. Find the full eligibility requirements in the official Rules.

Registration Dates

September 14, 2026 12:00am PDT

Registration Opens

November 16, 2026 11:59pm PST

Registration Closes