NASA Space Roboticist Challenge

NASA Space Roboticist Challenge is sponsored by NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). This challenge engages participants in developing advanced robotics capabilities relevant to space exploration and operations.

Space Technology Mission Directorate - NASA International Space Station NASA’s Artemis II Crew Set to Receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor NASA Sets Coverage for Roman Space Telescope Launch from Florida What’s Up: August 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA Upcoming Launches and Landings Communicating with Missions James Webb Space Telescope International Space Station Earth Science Researchers Asteroids, Comets & Meteors The Search for Life in the Universe Astrophysics & Space Science Biological & Physical Sciences Human Space Travel Research Flight Research Innovation Technology Transfer & Spinoffs Manufacturing and Materials For Colleges and Universities Requests for Exhibits, Artifacts, Speakers & Flyovers Upcoming Launches & Landings NASA Brand & Usage Guidelines NASA Sets Coverage for Roman Space Telescope Launch from Florida NASA’s Pandora Mission Begins Study of Exoplanets, Host Stars Galactic Gems Glisten in New Gallery From NASA’s Chandra Human-Related Microbes May Survive Moon’s South Pole, NASA Finds NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details NASA Will Attempt to Observe Rocket Part’s Lunar Impact Building Foresight for Earth Science, featuring Lindsey Jacobson Starstruck: NASA Research Shows How Sun’s Ancient History Shaped Earth What Lake Bonneville Left Behind Curiosity Reaches 1-Kilometer Elevation Gain NASA Johnson Pilots Chase Moon’s Shadow for Eclipse Science Starstruck: NASA Research Shows How Sun’s Ancient History Shaped Earth NASA’s Pandora Mission Begins Study of Exoplanets, Host Stars Galactic Gems Glisten in New Gallery From NASA’s Chandra Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way’s Early Years Planetary Exploration Science Technology Office (PESTO) NASA’s Pandora Mission Begins Study of Exoplanets, Host Stars Galactic Gems Glisten in New Gallery From NASA’s Chandra NASA Selects University Teams to Help Advance Aviation Research NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure NASA Glenn’s Legacy Forged Through Decades of Flight Research New Next-Gen Dish Adds Muscle to NASA’s Deep Space Network Amendment 69: New Opportunity: D.

9 Habitable Worlds Observatory Instrument Concept Assessments Copernicus Trajectory Design and Optimization System Building Foresight for Earth Science, featuring Lindsey Jacobson NASA State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce Career Spotlight: Mechanic (Ages 14-18) NASA Establishes State Hubs to Grow Technical Aerospace Workforce NASA’s Artemis II Crew Set to Receive Congressional Space Medal of Honor The View from Above: The Gemini Visual Acuity Experiments La NASA anuncia la cobertura de la misión lunar Artemis II Agenda diaria de la misión a la Luna de Artemis II de la NASA La NASA refuerza Artemis: añade una misión y perfecciona su arquitectura general Space Technology Mission Directorate Space Technology Mission Directorate Technology drives exploration and the space economy.

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) aims to transform future missions while ensuring American leadership in aerospace. STMD develops, demonstrates, and transfers new space technologies that benefit NASA, commercial, and other government missions.

Learn More About STMD about Space Technology Mission Directorate NASA Invites Media to LunaRecycle Challenge Finale Event in Alabama NASA TechLeap Prize: Orbital Clarity Challenge NASA Student Aviation Challenge Focuses on Nation’s Infrastructure NASA Challenge Tests Wheel Designs for Moon Base Mobility NASA Competition Invites Students to Help Imagine a Future Enabled by Lunar Technologies NASA Fires Up Powerful Lithium-Fed Thruster for Trips to Mars NASA puts next‑generation propulsion to the test—a system powerful enough to carry crews to Mars and robots across the solar system.

The purpose of the Center Innovation Fund is to stimulate and encourage creativity and innovation within the NASA Centers in addressing the technology needs of NASA and the nation. Go to Center Innovation Fund Flight Opportunities rapidly demonstrates promising technologies for space exploration, discovery, and the expansion of space commerce through suborbital testing with industry flight providers.

The program matures capabilities needed for NASA missions and commercial applications while strategically investing in the growth of the U.S. commercial spaceflight industry. Go to Flight Opportunities Game Changing Development GCD seeks to identify and rapidly mature high-impact capabilities and technologies, and investigate innovative ideas that have the potential to revolutionize future space missions.

Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative (LSII) works across industry, academia, non-profits, and with other government agencies to catalyze the development of technology that will enable robotic and human exploration of the Moon and future operations on Mars.

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts NIAC nurtures visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions with the creation of breakthroughs—radically better or entirely new aerospace architectures, systems, or missions. Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing NASA connects the public to the agency’s missions and explores creative possibilities for addressing the agency’s needs through prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities.

Go to Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide an opportunity for small, high tech companies and research institutions.

Small Spacecraft Technology The Small Spacecraft Technology program expands the ability to execute unique missions through rapid development and demonstration of capabilities for small spacecraft applicable to exploration, science and the commercial space sector.

Go to Small Spacecraft Technology Space Tech Research Grants Space Technology Research Grants will accelerate the development of high risk/high payoff technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA.

Go to Space Tech Research Grants Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) The mission of NASA’s Technology Demonstration Missions is to bridge the gap between need and means, between scientific and engineering challenges and the technological innovations.

Technology Transfer and Spinoff The NASA Technology Transfer program ensures that innovations developed for exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation.

Go to Tech Transfer and Spinoff NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) develops technologies through a community of entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators to solve the nation’s toughest challenges and enable future NASA and commercial missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. FreeFall Tests Spherical Antennas at 159,000 feet on NASA’s 60 million cubic foot stratospheric balloon.

Dr. Christopher Walker, NIAC Fellow / FreeFall Aerospace faces of technology videos Go to Faces of Tech Video Playlist Fission Surface Power, Project Manager at NASA's Glenn Research Center Research Electrical Engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center Aerospace Engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center Flight Test Campaign Manager for NASA’s Flight Opportunities program Deputy Manager for the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project Office at NASA Avionics Systems Manager at NASA Celebrating the Women who Bring NASA Technology to Life Manager for NASA’s Prize Competitions Project Manager at Colorado State University Program Manager at NASA's Langley Research Center NASA Research Engineer at the National Institute of Aerospace Aerospace Engineer at NASA's Ames Research Center Mechanical Engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center Mechanical Engineer at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Materials Scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Materials Engineer at NASA's Glenn Research Center Ranked Civil Space Shortfalls STMD is refining its strategy for prioritizing technology investments, with the goal of evolving into a stronger and more resilient national tech base for civil space.

Discover More Space Tech Topics STMD Solicitations and Opportunities Technology Transfer & Spinoffs