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A device with black rings in a clear container floats in microgravity; a researcher with a head-mounted camera smiles at it. Background: Two researchers with surgical skull caps conduct experiments, their feet tucked under black straps to prevent floating.

Get Involved with NASA

We invite members of the public to contribute their time and expertise to advancing research, solving problems, and potentially winning prizes as a result of their work. We also invite you to find out all of the ways you can bring NASA into your life through participating in experiences, learning engagements, and activities that you can do on your own.

Help NASA Solve Challenges

NASA invites the public to develop solutions in support of the agency's missions. Below are current opportunities, including prize competitions, challenges, crowdsourcing, and solicitations that address the agency's needs.

NASA, Collaborators Announce a New Student Lunar Autonomy Challenge! 

The new Lunar Autonomy Challenge invites teams of students from U.S. colleges and universities to test their software development skills.…

Let It Go: (After Latching) Challenge

NASA is seeking innovative solutions for a synchronized antenna deployment system. The primary objective is to develop a mechanism that…

LunaRecycle

The LunaRecycle Challenge is a $3 million, two track, two-phase competition focused on the design and development of recycling solutions…

Participate in NASA Research

Citizen Science

NASA citizen science projects are open to everyone around the world, not limited to U.S. citizens or residents.

NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. More than 450 NASA citizen scientists have been named as co-authors on refereed scientific publications. Want to work on some real NASA science? Be a Citizen Scientist!

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The Biopolymer Research for In-Situ Capabilities team assembles the control experiments that will be delivered to middle school classrooms for the students to run as part of the citizen science program. Image courtesy of Ben Gao.

Bring NASA into Your Classroom

Professional development, webcasts, lectures, contests, and more

Browse opportunities that integrate NASA missions, educational resources, and NASA-unique facilities to provide high-quality STEM content and hands-on learning experiences. Educators return to their classrooms equipped with real-world experiences relevant to NASA content, hands-on training, and readiness to teach and engage their students in the STEM areas.

Learn More about Bring NASA into Your Classroom
NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative

In-Flight Education Downlinks

In-flight education downlinks allow students and educators to interact with astronauts onboard the International Space Station. These opportunities are available to both formal and informal U.S.-based education organizations. The proposal period for In-Flight Education Downlinks Expedition 73 is open. Three virtual question-and-answer sessions will be offered throughout the proposal period. Submission Deadline: Oct. 29, 2024.

Learn More and Apply about In-Flight Education Downlinks

Explore Student Opportunities

Multiple challenges and opportunities reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

TechRise Student Challenge logo

NASA TechRise Student Challenge

Middle/high school student teams are invited to submit science and technology experiment ideas to fly on a suborbital flight platform.

Group of students carry their rocket at the 2023 Student Rocket Launch Week challenge.

NASA Student Launch Challenge

Student Launch is a research-based, competitive, experiential exploration activity. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

A group of native American students holding their rockets

First Nations Launch

The competition offers Tribal college-level students the opportunity to demonstrate engineering and design skills through direct application in high-powered rocketry.

Attend a Virtual Event

Launches & Landings

Tune in to scheduled mission updates that you can watch live.

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NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) spacecraft, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, successfully lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 1:33 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 8. PACE is NASA’s newest earth-observing satellite that will help increase our understanding of Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and climate by delivering hyperspectral observations of microscopic marine organisms called phytoplankton, as well new data on clouds and aerosols.

Stay connected on social media

Seven clear, rectangular bottles with blue screw-on caps are turned on their sides and stacked in a column of three and four inside a metal incubation chamber. Inside each of the bottles is a reddish liquid.

Help NASA explore creative possibilities for addressing the agency’s needs through prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities.

Earth Rotation Detector

These projects are collaborations between scientists and members of the public.

3 girls pose with a robot at the Lunabotics Women in STEM event

We’re launching learning to new heights with STEM resources.

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