NASA said on Sept. 29 that its 2027 Human Lander Challenge is now open, seeking ideas from college and university students for reliable lunar communications systems to support the agency's Artemis and Moon Base programs.
What NASA is asking for
The agency said the competition invites United States-based collegiate teams and their faculty advisers to develop innovative, systems-level solutions to better understand, establish, and optimize lunar communications for landers and surface operations that can be implemented within three to five years.
According to NASA, a resilient communications system will connect astronauts, rovers, habitats, landers, mission support teams on Earth, and more, and reliable communications are essential for safety, coordinating complex operations and timely decision-making in the harsh and remote lunar environment.
NASA identified three main categories: hardware, including space-rated wireless networks and electronics and antenna signal propagation, modeling and environmental mitigation; software, including data efficiency and link optimization and network management and scheduling; and architecture, covering surface and orbital communications system architecture. Teams may also propose solutions outside those focus areas, the agency said.
Deadlines and awards
Teams should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Thursday, Oct. 15, if they would like to participate, NASA said. Proposal packages, including a five to seven-page proposal and a two-minute video, are due March 4, 2027.
Based on proposal package evaluations in phase 1, up to 12 finalist teams will be selected to receive $9,000 and advance to phase 2, which includes a final design review in Huntsville, Alabama, home of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, June 21–24, 2027. The top three teams from phase 2 will share a total prize of $18,000.
What NASA said
"Reliable communications will be at the heart of our ability to explore and operate on the Moon," said Jeremy Del Greco, Human Landing System program communications integration lead at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Del Greco added: "As Artemis and Moon Base missions expand our presence beyond Earth, we will need dependable connections across the lunar surface and beyond. The 2027 Human Lander Challenge gives students the opportunity to help shape the communications capabilities of tomorrow and support future lunar exploration."
Who runs the competition
The Human Lander Challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of the agency and is sponsored by the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate's Human Landing System Program Office, NASA said.
The agency said the challenge supports its efforts to foster innovative solutions to a variety of areas for long-duration human spaceflight plans at the Moon, and that through Artemis it will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.
What to do
- U.S.-based college and university teams interested in competing should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Thursday, Oct. 15, NASA said.
- Prepare a proposal package with a five to seven-page proposal and a two-minute video by March 4, 2027.
- Consider NASA's three focus categories — hardware, software and architecture — though the agency says teams may propose solutions outside them.
- For details on participating, NASA points to the Human Lander Challenge site at https://hulc.nianet.org/.
Key facts and where they come from
- NASA's 2027 Human Lander Challenge seeks student ideas for lunar communications.
NASA’s 2027 Human Lander Challenge is seeking ideas from college and university students to help address one of the most critical needs for sustained lunar exploration: reliable communications.
- Solutions should be implementable within three to five years.
solutions to better understand, establish, and optimize lunar communications for landers and surface operations that can be implemented within three to five years
- A non-binding notice of intent is due Thursday, Oct. 15.
Teams should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Thursday, Oct. 15, if they would like to participate.
- Proposal packages are due March 4, 2027 and include a five to seven-page proposal and a two-minute video.
Proposal packages, including a five to seven-page proposal and a two-minute video, are due March 4, 2027.
- Up to 12 finalist teams receive $9,000 and advance to phase 2.
up to 12 finalist teams will be selected to receive $9,000 and advance to phase 2 of the competition
- The final design review takes place in Huntsville, Alabama, June 21–24, 2027.
a final design review in Huntsville, Alabama, home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, June 21–24, 2027
- The top three phase 2 teams share a total prize of $18,000.
The top three teams from phase 2 will share a total prize of $18,000.
- The challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace.
The Human Lander Challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of the agency