National
Space Sustainability
Competition
Sustainable Living in Orbit Through Sustainable Energy
Teams of 6th–8th grade students are challenged to put their creativity, STEM skills, and
problem-solving to work designing innovative solutions for sustainable energy and living in space.
Prizes for every winning team member:
1st Place: $1,500 + CubeSat NEA Scout + Toolkit
2nd Place: $1,000 + CubeSat NEA Scout + Toolkit
3rd Place: $500 + CubeSat NEA Scout + Toolkit
about
What is the Competition?
The National Space Sustainability Competition (NSSC) invites 6th–8th grade students to envision innovative solutions for one of space exploration's greatest challenges: sustainable energy in orbit. Sponsored by leading space industry partners, this competition challenges students to think critically and creatively about the growing need for generating, storing, and using sustainable energy in space. By developing new ideas and presenting them through models, mission briefings, and video pitches, students will explore how they can play a role in the future of space exploration.
How it Works
Form a Team
2–4 students plus an adult mentor
Explore the Challenge
Learn about this year’s theme
Create Your Idea
Design your solution for a sustainable future beyond Earth
Submit Your Project
Share your concept before the deadline
Celebrate on National Space Day
Winners revealed May 7, 2027
contest challenge
Build the Blueprint for Sustainable Energy in Orbit.
You and your team are mission designed! Your challenge is to propose a concept that addresses one or more key energy sustainability challenges of living in orbit through architecture, systems, and technology.
to complete your mission, your solution must:
- Support human activity (e.g., habitats, energy, mobility, life support)
- Address sustainability principles (e.g., reuse, modularity, efficiency, resilience)
- Include technical, economic, and social considerations
- Reflect an understanding of STEM, entrepreneurship, and global cooperation
Competition Overview
Submissions Include:
Mission Brief
A 2–3 page briefing covering the problem they have chosen to tackle, their solution, an explanation of how it works, and a sustainability snapshot.
STEM Component
Students will engineer or design a concept model to further demonstrate how their solution functions.
Video Pitch
A 3-minute video summarizing their solution and showcasing their creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking.
Competition Team
Teams of 2–4 students research, design, and present their solutions
Teacher/Sponsor
An educator or parent to help guide the students through the process
Mentor
An advisor to bring real-world industry experience and offer feedback
Judge
Experienced space-sector professionals who evaluate and score student entries
NATIONAL SPACE SUSTAINABILITY COMPETITION
Big Ideas, Big Rewards
Your creativity and innovation could launch you into the winner’s circle! To celebrate the hard work and engineering of our top teams, we’re offering exciting prizes to the first-, second-, and third-place winners of the National Space Sustainability Competition.
All winning teams will receive monetary awards that recognize their hard work and are designed to fuel their educational future in STEM and design.
second place
$1,000
per team member
first place
$1,500
per team member
third place
$500
per team member
TAKE YOUR MISSION FURTHER
Each winning team member will also receive a CubeSat NEA Scout + Toolkit.
These prizes are designed to encourage young innovators to keep dreaming big, solving problems, and thinking about how we can build a more sustainable future — on Earth, in orbit, the Moon, and beyond.
NATIONAL SPACE SUSTAINABILITY COMPETITION
Key Dates
Registration Opens:
October 5, 2026
Submission Deadline:
January 15, 2027
Winners Announced:
May 7, 2027 (National Space Day)
Competition FAQs
