NASA announced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology project, Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power SystEm, as the first place winner for the 2026 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition, which challenges students to bridge gaps in aerospace technology by innovating new system concepts and prototypes.
Another team from the same university won second place overall for their project, Mars Exploration Layered Infrastructure for Operations, Research, and Advancement, while Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University took third place with the Mars Pylon Network.
Empowering the next generation, the competition also supports the agency’s workforce development priorities by offering university teams hands-on experience in mission architecture development, systems engineering, and technical communication.
“The winning teams demonstrated how academic innovation can support Artemis mission goals,” said Daniel Mazanek, program sponsor for RASC-AL and senior space systems engineer, NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “Their work highlights the important role student research plays in shaping future space exploration, and the results showcase how disciplined analysis can elevate innovative ideas into viable exploration concepts.”
