Technical Networks & Challenges
NASA L'SPACE Program
NASA Lucy Student Pipeline Accelerator and Competency Enable (L'SPACE) ​
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L'SPACE consists of two Academies - the Mission Concept Academy (MCA), and the NASA Proposal Writing and Evaluation Experience (NPWEE) Academy. The Lucy Mission's L'SPACE Program is a free, online, interactive experience open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in pursuing a career within NASA or other organizations in the space ecosystem. Fully funded by NASA, through its Lucy mission, the L'SPACE Program offers rigorous, deep technical training in mission planning and proposal writing. Since its conception in 2018, 13,460 participants from over 950 US colleges and universities from all 50 states have gone through the program.
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National Space Society (NSS) Contests
The National Space Society is the preeminent citizen’s voice on space exploration, development, and settlement. The NSS Vision is “People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.” There are multiple NSS and NSS-sponsored challenges to engage with.
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CalTech Space Challenge
The Caltech Space Challenge brings 32 talented and highly-motivated graduate students to the Caltech campus to participate in a week-long space mission design competition. The participants are split into two teams and both teams work under the mentorship of experts from industry, NASA and academia to design their mission concept from scratch to final proposal. The Challenge is a unique opportunity for enthusiastic students to build technical and teamwork skills, interact with world-renowned experts in space exploration and connect to like-minded peers from all around the world.
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Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)
The Space Generation Advisory Council in Support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications is a global non-governmental, non-profit (US 501(c)3) organisation and network which aims to connect and represent young space professionals and university students ages 18 – 35 to the United Nations, space agencies, industry, and academia.
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ACHIEVED Competition
Assembly for Concepts in Human Interplanetary Exploration with Various Extraterrestrial Designations (ACHIEVED). We are an international and interdisciplinary team of 20 students and young professionals who are preparing the young generation to design space exploration missions while supporting diversity and multidisciplinarity.
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International Space University (ISU)
Since 1987, International Space University (ISU) has provided high-quality training and education for the next generation of space professionals, industry and agency leaders, and entrepreneurial visionaries.
Our alumni network includes more than 6,000 individuals working in diverse capacities to shape the space ecosystem across over 110 countries. We promote international, innovative, intercultural, and interdisciplinary cooperation to ensure the peaceful use of outer space—for the benefit of humanity and for a sustainable future on this planet and beyond.
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Space4girls (S4G)
We support young women to become innovators in the fields of (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and to become the next generation of leaders in the rapidly growing space Industry.
Our programs incorporate both hands on Extracurricular Education, Mentorship, Educator Resources, and Guidance beyond High School and University. Our Purpose: To brighten the path towards a sustainable and successful future for young women who have a special interest in (STEM) science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Girls Love to Fly
Our mission is to get more females flying. There are less than 6% of women in the aviation industry. Girls Love To Fly is a non-profit foundation that offers scholarship opportunities and an all girls flight school to help increase that statistic. We inspire girls to fly the wings they never knew they had.
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The Conrad Challenge
The Conrad Challenge is a purpose-driven STEM innovation competition that is creating the next generation of entrepreneurs who will change the world. From August through April, teams will journey through the entrepreneurial process and design an innovation that solves an important problem.
The 2025-2026 competition is comprised of 3 phases: Activation Stage, Innovation Stage, and Innovation Summit. Only Innovation Stage finalists will move to the Innovation Summit. Teams may compete from anywhere in the world. Teams can be assembled by siblings, classmates and students from other institutions. If challengers have competed in a previous year, they may compete again if they still meet the age criteria and other requirements
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