Hey, 6th-12th graders! Want to launch an experiment on a high-altitude balloon or suborbital spacecraft? This is your chance — the fifth NASA TechRise Student Challenge is now open! No experience is needed to apply.
In this nationwide contest, middle and high schoolers at U.S. public, private, or charter schools can design, build, and launch experiments on NASA-supported flights. It’s a great way to get real-world, hands-on experience with the same process that professional researchers follow.
We will award 60 winning teams:
- $1,500 to build their science and technology experiment
- A starter kit, including a flight box in which to build their experiment
- An assigned spot to test their experiment on a NASA-sponsored flight
- Technical support from advisors who help students learn the skills they need to bring their experiment to life
Just like professional engineers…
Researchers fly payloads on suborbital vehicles to expose their experiments to the conditions of space and collect the data they need to advance their science and technology projects.
TechRise gives you the same opportunity, allowing winning student teams to test their experiment on one of the following commercial flight platforms:
- A high-altitude balloon operated by World View Enterprises, with approximately 4–8 hours of flight time at 70,000 to 90,000 feet
- Virgin Galactic’s Suborbital-Spaceship, with approximately 3 minutes of microgravity at altitudes above 264,000 feet as well as accelerations three times the speed of sound (Mach 3).
Participants gain critical skills in engineering, computing, electronics, and more that will be required for America’s technical workforce.
Ready to get started? Gather your team (under the guidance of an educator) and:
Proposals are due by Nov. 3, 2025. Good luck!