Applications are now open for the NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2025, a national competition designed for U.S. students in grades 6 through 12 who are passionate about science, technology, and space exploration. This challenge invites school teams to design creative and feasible experiments that can be launched on NASA-sponsored flight vehicles, either aboard suborbital spacecraft experiencing microgravity or high-altitude balloons flying at altitudes of up to 95,000 feet.
Open to all public, private, and charter schools across the United States and its territories, the competition provides students with a hands-on opportunity to develop skills in engineering, computing, and electronics. Each participating team must include a minimum of four students and be led by a teacher or school-employed adult who is a U.S. resident aged 18 or older. While homeschool groups are generally not eligible, students enrolled in independent study programs through eligible schools may participate.
Winners will be selected based on the creativity, feasibility, and scientific value of their experiment proposals. A total of 60 teams will be chosen—35 for suborbital spacecraft experiments and 25 for high-altitude balloon projects. Selected teams will receive a $1,500 grant, a starter kit, and a designated flight box to build their experiments. In addition to financial support, technical guidance and weekly mentorship sessions will be provided by Future Engineers throughout the build phase.
This challenge gives students a unique chance to explore real-world aerospace and atmospheric science, offering insight into microgravity environments, Earth’s stratosphere, and high-altitude radiation. It encourages innovation and provides early exposure to careers in STEM fields.
To apply, teams must first develop their experiment idea, fill out the official proposal template, and submit it through their team lead before the deadline. All entries must be submitted by November 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM PT. Students who participate in this program not only gain national recognition but also develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can shape their future in science and engineering.
