NASA STEM Engagement

Save the Date: MAX POWER

at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Save the date for America's newest aerospace technology expo and air show!

In honor of America's 250th birthday, NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is hosting MAX POWER – a celebration of the spirit of American innovation. The two-day event will feature immersive experiences for all ages to enjoy, including air shows, technology demonstrations, spaceflight hardware, military aircraft, and behind‑the‑scenes access to America’s spaceport. Attend talks led by NASA experts and meet astronauts from some of the agency’s most famous missions!

Click here to learn more and start planning your trip!

Are You Up for a Challenge?

2027 Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams

(Micro-g NExT)

Proposal Deadline: Tuesday, Oct. 27

Contact: jsc-reducedgravity@nasa.gov

Micro-g NExT challenges undergraduate students to design, build, and test a tool or device that addresses an authentic, current space exploration challenge.

The 2027 Micro-g NExT challenges focus on lunar operations and building the Moon Base. Selected teams will be paired with a NASA mentor to assist them as they iterate on their submitted design. During the culminating event, professional divers will test the student prototypes in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Micro-g NExT directly advances NASA missions and prepares tomorrow’s aerospace workforce while equipping students with essential technical, entrepreneurial, and career skills.

Click here for full challenge descriptions and requirements.

NASA TechLeap Prize – Orbital Clarity Challenge

Registration Deadline:

Wednesday, Oct. 28

Contact: hello@nasatechleap.org

A collaborative effort between NASA's Heliophysics Division, Flight Opportunities program, and Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, this challenge seeks ideas to advance orbital drag measurements for safer, more predictable satellite flight paths. NASA invites applicants to propose low-cost, scalable approaches that enable proliferated measurements of density, pressure, or drag in low-Earth orbit.

Up to four winners will each receive up to $500,000 to develop flight-ready solutions across three prize phases. Winning teams will also be given an opportunity to demonstrate their solution in orbit at no cost.

Visit the challenge website to read the application requirements, rules, technical guidelines, and evaluation criteria that will be used to assess all valid applications.

Online Learning Opportunities

My NASA Data Fall 2026 Webinar Series

Next Webinar Date:

Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. EDT

Contact:

larc-mynasadata@mail.nasa.gov

Join the My NASA Data team for a series of webinars spotlighting tools and resources to enhance Earth science learning in grades 3-12 using educational materials available through the My NASA Data website.

The next webinar – My NASA Data: STEM Career Connections With Supplemental Lesson Plan – will explore STEM Career Connection lessons which include scientist background info, a short video, and activities where students match their own skills with those of a real scientist. The supplemental lesson plan uses a jigsaw activity where students share insights about different careers, connect their skills to the Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices, and design badges depicting themselves as future STEM professionals.

Click here to find details about the webinar series and register to attend.

Surprisingly STEM Live Session: You Could Build the Next Space Telescope

Registration Deadline: Thursday, Nov. 12

Event Date:

Thursday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. EST

Contact: hq-virtual-engagements@mail.nasa.gov

Go behind the scenes at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for a live virtual session with a mechanical engineer who helped build the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Find out how engineers and skilled tradespeople work together to build and prepare a spacecraft for launch – from precision hardware to the hands-on technical skills that prepared Roman for space.

Students interested in engineering, skilled trades, applied STEM programs, and technical careers are encouraged to attend. Click here for event and registration details.

More to Explore

State Hubs: Opening Doors for Technical Students

In the latest episode of the Small Steps Giant Leaps podcast, NASA’s associate administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement Elaine Ho shares insights about the new NASA-led State Hubs initiative. Hear how State Hubs across the U.S. are helping to strengthen and streamline pathways for students to pursue high-demand skilled trades roles in the aerospace industry.

Small Steps Giant Leaps is produced by NASA’s Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership, or APPEL.

Click here to learn more about NASA’s State Hubs initiative.

Partner Opportunities

NOAA Webinar: Engaging Students in Plastic Pollution Education

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 27,

at 6 p.m. EDT

Smithsonian Lecture – At Home in Space: Stories from ISS Astronauts

Date: Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. EDT

2026-2027 Conrad Challenge for Students Ages 13-18

Registration Deadline:

Thursday, Oct. 29

Want to subscribe to get this message delivered to your inbox each Thursday? Sign up for the NASA EXPRESS newsletter at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-express.

Are you looking for NASA STEM materials? Search hundreds of resources at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/search.

Check out the ‘Science for Everyone’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit https://science.nasa.gov/for-everyone. To view the site in Spanish, visit https://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Are you looking for more NASA prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities? Visit https://www.nasa.gov/get-involved/ to find ways to contribute to NASA’s work.

NASA Office of STEM Engagement

We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities.

Visit nasa.gov/learning-resources/



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As explorers, pioneers, and innovators, we boldly expand frontiers in air and space to inspire and serve America and to benefit the quality of life on Earth.

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