Launched in 2021, this NASA competition enables technology developers to compete for development funding to advance an innovation that addresses a current NASA technology need. Competition winners receive a cash prize and access to a suborbital or orbital flight opportunity on one of several commercial flight platforms. TechLeap is conducted under the America COMPETES Act and is administered by Carrot, NASA’s Tournament Lab contractor.
Who is eligible to apply?
TechLeap is open to qualified commercial businesses, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and other innovators.
Visit the TechLeap website about Who is eligible to apply?
Latest Challenge
Universal Payload Interface Challenge
This challenge invites applicants to propose an optimized “system of systems” to enable easy integration of diverse technology payloads onto various commercial suborbital vehicles, orbital platforms, and planetary landers. The proposed universal payload interfaces should seamlessly adapt a wide range of small space payloads – be they technologies, laboratory instruments, or scientific experiments – for flight testing.
- Registration deadline: February 1, 2024, at 5pm ET
- Application deadline: February 22, 2024, at 5pm ET
Q&A Wednesday, December 13, 1:00-2:00 pm PT • Watch Recording
Webinar: NASA TechLeap Universal Payload Interface Challenge • Watch Recording
To find more information about this challenge, visit:
https://www.upic.nasatechleap.org/
View Webinars Related to TechLeap
Part of our Community of Practice series, these webinars discussed researcher experiences and providing useful insights related to 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.
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 TechLeap News
Nighttime Precision Landing – TechLeap Prize
The winners of this challenge seek to test less expensive, smaller, and lower mass hazard detection systems for facilitating safe landings in the dark.
NASA Seeks Development of Universal Payload Interface
NASA Offers Fly-Fix-Fly Testing for SmallSat Planetary Observation
NASA TechLeap Prize Winner Tests Quantum Earth Observation System
Winners of First NASA TechLeap Challenge Take Flight
NASA TechLeap Winners Advance Technology to Aid Lunar Landings
NASA TechLeap Challenge Winners Advance to Next Round
