OPEN NOW! REGISTER BY MARCH 4, 2025 • APPLY BY MARCH 20, 2025
Flight Opportunities is excited to announce that NASA has issued a new challenge for its TechLeap Prize: the Space Technology Payload Challenge.
NASA intends to award up to nine prizes worth up to $500,000 each plus the opportunity for a flight test to develop payloads and advance solutions that address a wide variety of NASA’s technology shortfalls to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The expectation is that the technologies will be tested at the end of the challenge aboard a suborbital vehicle, rocket-powered lander, high-altitude balloon, aircraft following a reduced gravity profile (i.e., parabolic flight), or orbital vehicle that can host payloads.
The TechLeap Prize seeks to rapidly identify and develop space technologies through a series of challenges that address specific technology shortfalls for NASA and the nation. TechLeap is open to qualified commercial businesses, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and other innovators. In addition to a cash prize, winners have an opportunity to receive access to a suborbital or hosted orbital flight opportunity on a commercial flight vehicle. Managed by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program, TechLeap is administered by Carrot, NASA’s Tournament Lab contractor.
Current Challenge | Prior Challenges | Webinars | News
Current Challenge Details
Recorded webinar: “Space Technology Payload Challenge: More on the Latest TechLeap Prize”
Our January Community of Practice webinar covers key details of the challenge and tips for preparing an application. The webinar also gives context to the technology areas the challenge aims to address and includes an overview of NASA’s Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science initiative.
Watch the recorded webinar
Q&A Webinar Recorded Nov. 20, 2024
Before this challenge launched on December 10, 2024, Flight Opportunities hosted a Q&A webinar to help researchers learn more about this TechLeap opportunity. View the pre-launch Q&A recording below.
Download the Q&A webinar slides
Space Technology Payload Challenge
NASA invites individuals, teams, and organizations to submit applications for systems that advance technology to address one or more of NASA’s shortfalls. These shortfalls identify technology areas where further technology development is required to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. In addition, technologies to address these select shortfalls are also potentially well suited for a suborbital or hosted orbital flight demonstration to help mature the innovation.
The shortfalls selected for this challenge are divided into two groups. The first group is derived from the Space Technology Mission Directorate civil space shortfall list. The second group is in partnership with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division and is derived from the CERISS (Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science) initiative needs.
Who is eligible to apply?
NASA welcomes applications from individuals, teams, and organization or entities that have a recognized legal existence and structure under applicable U.S. law and that are in good standing in the jurisdiction under which they are organized with certain restrictions. Applicants are encouraged to read the rules carefully.
Review the rules for this challenge
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Pre-Launch Q&A: Space Technology Payload Challenge (recorded Nov. 20, 2024)
More About Prior Challenges
Autonomous Observation Challenge (AOC)
Nighttime Precision Landing (NPL) Challenge
Universal Payload Interface Challenge (UPIC)
View Webinars Related to TechLeap
These webinars discussed researcher experiences and provided useful insights related to NASA TechLeap Prize challenges.
Space Technology Payload Challenge: Jan. 8, 2025 webinar
Speakers will cover key details of the challenge, tips for preparing an application, and context to the technology areas the challenge aims to address.
Pre-Launch Q&A: Space Technology Payload Challenge
Before this challenge launched on December 10, 2024, Flight Opportunities hosted a Q&A webinar to help researchers learn more about this TechLeap opportunity.
NASA TechLeap Universal Payload Interface Challenge
This webinar discusses the NASA TechLeap Universal Payload Interface Challenge that is seeking a flight-ready universal payload interface.
Practicing Fly-Fix-Fly: Re-flight Opportunity Through NASA TechLeap Prize
At this webinar, presenters explore the “fly-fix-fly” ethos of the Flight Opportunities program and highlight best practices for quickly advancing space technologies.
The Pace of Space: What's New in Suborbital Flight
This webinar discusses a number of new activities across NASA that influence the suborbital flight community, including TechLeap.
NASA’s TechLeap Prize: Advancing Space Technologies and Innovative Teams
This webinar highlights the unique support that TechLeap provides by offering first-hand insight from winners of the inaugural TechLeap Prize: Autonomous Observation Challenge No. 1.
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