Space Technology Payload Challenge: A NASA STMD TechLeap Prize
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a challenge under STMD’s Flight Opportunities TechLeap Prize titled “Space Technology Payload Challenge.” An online Q&A session will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, at 2:30 pm ET. Recordings of previous information sessions as well as detailed information about the challenge are available on the challenge website: https://www.stpc.nasatechleap.org/
Registration is due on or before March 4, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET, with applications due on or before March 20, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET. Note that registration is a prerequisite to submit an application. Selections are expected to be announced in July 2025 (target).
NASA intends to award up to nine prizes worth up to $500,000 each plus the opportunity for a flight test to develop payloads and advance solutions that address a wide variety of NASA’s technology shortfalls to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs. The expectation is that the technologies will be tested at the end of the challenge aboard a suborbital vehicle, rocket-powered lander, high-altitude balloon, aircraft following a reduced gravity profile (i.e., parabolic flight), or orbital vehicle that can host payloads.
Technologies submitted to the Space Technology Payload Challenge must address at least one of the shortfalls selected for the challenge, which are divided into two groups: (1) a set of selected civil space shortfalls, which span 17 categories, and (2) CERISS (Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science) Program Capability Needs, which fall into two areas.
The NASA TechLeap Prize is open to qualified commercial businesses, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and other innovators. The purpose of TechLeap is to rapidly identify and develop space technologies through a series of challenges that address specific technology shortfalls for NASA and the nation.
Applicants are urged to carefully read the Eligibility Criteria, Technical Guidelines, Scoring Rubric, FAQs, and other information and resources provided at https://www.stpc.nasatechleap.org/ and at NASA TechLeap Prize Information - NASA
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