NASA TechLeap Prize: Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge is sponsored by NASA. A challenge to develop payloads that can be manipulated by robotic arms in low Earth orbit, with potential applications in in-space servicing and manufacturing.

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7 SAT Final Text and Due Dates NASA, Industry Advance High Performance Spaceflight Computing NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon Space Out This Summer with Variety of NASA STEM Activities NASA, Industry Advance High Performance Spaceflight Computing NASA Fuel Cell Tests Pave Way for Energy Storage on Moon NASA Welcomes Paraguay as 67th Artemis Accords Signatory 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 STMD Flight Opportunities Space Technology Payload Challenge A NASA TechLeap Challenge Launched in December 2024, the NASA TechLeap Prize Space Technology Payload Challenge (STPC) sought solutions that address a wide variety of NASA’s technology shortfalls to meet future exploration, science, and other mission needs.

Announced on June 26, 2025, 10 selected teams have the chance to win up to $500,000 each plus the opportunity for a flight test to develop and advance their payloads. The teams’ technologies are expected to begin flight testing in summer 2026 aboard either a suborbital rocket-powered vehicle, a high-altitude balloon, a parabolic flight, or an orbital vehicle that can host payloads.

More information about the challenge and the 10 winning teams’ solutions appears below.

Learn more about NASA’s TechLeap Prize about Space Technology Payload Challenge Up to $5 million + flight tests Addressing NASA’s Technology Shortfalls To participate in this challenge, individuals, teams, and organizations were invited to submit applications for systems that advance technology to address one or more of NASA’s technology shortfalls or the Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science Initiative.

The challenge was divided into two groups. The first group was derived from the Space Technology Mission Directorate civil space shortfall list released in July 2024. The second group was developed in partnership with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division in the Science Mission Directorate and derived from the Commercially Enabled Rapid Space Science Initiative program needs.

Regolith conveyance Cellular experiment lab Cell separation Green rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE ) Ullage trapping Electron beam dust mitigation Genetic material extraction In-space semiconductor crystal manufacturing Subsurface science Hydrocarbon and oxygen production Near-Vertical Regolith Conveyance for Oxygen ISRU Using “Rego-LIFT” Shortfall: Extraction and Separation of Oxygen from Extraterrestrial Minerals Leveraging Aerofly’s proven Rego-LIFT system, this solution demonstrates near-vertical regolith conveyance for oxygen in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

By refining motor scaling, system architecture, and energy budgeting, their approach directly addresses a NASA shortfall, optimizing material handling for efficient oxygen extraction from lunar regolith. ›› View the Aerofly application video Learn more about Aerofly's Rego-LIFT system about Near-Vertical Regolith Conveyance for Oxygen ISRU Using “Rego-LIFT” A tabletop demonstration of Rego-LIFT.

Ambrosia Space Manufacturing Corporation Cell Separation (Cel-Sep) Centrifuge for Nutrient Production for Crewed Missions Shortfall: Food and Nutrition for Mars and Sustained Lunar The Ambrosia Space team is building scalable in-space biomanufacturing systems for large-scale protein and nutrient manufacturing for long-duration human spaceflight.

Key to this solution is the capability to process large volumes of liquid-based cell culture efficiently in reduced and micro-gravity environments. ›› View the Ambrosia application video Learn more about Ambrosia's Cel-Sep system about Cell Separation (Cel-Sep) Centrifuge for Nutrient Production for Crewed Missions The Ambrosia Space bioreactor operating in a biosafety cabinet (BSC).

Microgravity Ullage Trapping (MUT) Shortfall: In-Space and Surface Transfer of Earth Storable Propellants The Carthage College MUT technology uses phased-array ultrasonic transducers to form, direct, and collect helium bubbles into a controlled gas pocket (i.e., ullage), near the vent port. The innovation extracts dissolved helium directly from the propellant — eliminating fuel-consuming settling burns.

This enables gas-only venting with minimal propellant loss.

›› View the Carthage College application video Learn more about the Carthage College MUT technology about Microgravity Ullage Trapping (MUT) Hardware for Extraction and Reagent Mixing in Experimental Studies (HERMES) Shortfall: General-Purpose Robotic Manipulation to Perform Human-Scale Logistics, Maintenance, Outfitting, and Utilization The HERMES automated genetic material extraction solution for diverse biological samples was developed by Ecoatoms to reduce astronaut time spent on research and development procedures.

This innovation advances human-scale logistics and utilization in space, reducing significant costs and allowing astronauts to focus on critical missions while automation handles complex laboratory tasks with precision and consistency.

Learn more about the Ecoatoms HERMES solution about Hardware for Extraction and Reagent Mixing in Experimental Studies (HERMES) The Ecoatoms team capturing real-time footage of the HERMES payload in motion.

Iterative Mars Penetrator for Subsurface Science (IMPRESS) Shortfall: Navigation Sensors for Precision Landing Guinn Partners’ IMPRESS technology supports affordable rideshare missions and enables Mars swarm deployment for small-scale spacecraft. After an aluminum air brake ensures controlled descent, penetrators embed 50 cm and deploy a 150-g payload for resource reconnaissance.

An ultra-high frequency radio beacon aids precision landing for future missions. ›› View the Guinn Partners application video Learn more about the Guinn Partners IMPRESS technology about Iterative Mars Penetrator for Subsurface Science (IMPRESS) An artists’ rendering of Guinn’s IMPRESS technology showing a small spacecraft swarm deployment from the entry vehicle.

Cellular Experiment Laboratory System (CELS) Shortfall: In-situ Sample Preparation Capabilities The CELS technology is an autonomous biological payload developed by Helogen Corporation to enable sample handling and preparation for in-orbit analysis. This technology focuses on ensuring high-quality biological experimentation comparable with state-of-the-art ground-based research.

It is designed for suborbital, hosted orbital, commercial low Earth orbit destination, and CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) use. ›› View the Helogen application video Learn more about the Helogen CELS technology about Cellular Experiment Laboratory System (CELS) Jurkat clone E6. 1 cell in culture.

Helogen / Niamh McDermott Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Satellite Propulsion with Green Propellants Shortfall: Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) Juno’s novel, high-thrust, high-efficiency propulsion system utilizes rotating detonation rocket engine technology powered with nitrous oxide and ethane, non-toxic propellants that are storable and self-pressurizing.

The product leverages the 5–10% higher specific impulse of the RDRE technology to be competitive with current hypergolic bi-propellant solutions.

›› View the Juno application video Learn more about Juno's RDRE solution about Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine Satellite Propulsion with Green Propellants Space Dust Research & Technologies, LLC Electron Beam Dust Mitigation (EBDM) Technology Shortfall: Active Dust Mitigation Technologies for Diverse Applications This technology developed by Space Dust Research & Technologies uses an electron beam to charge particles to mitigate dust hazards for exploration on dust-rich airless bodies, like the Moon.

It has demonstrated cleaning efficacy up to 92% for various surfaces, including spacesuits, solar panels, optical lenses, and thermal blankets. ›› View the Space Dust application video Learn more about Space Dust's EBDM solution about Electron Beam Dust Mitigation (EBDM) Technology The Electron Beam Dust Mitigation (EBDM) technology zaps away lunar dust from surfaces using a beam of electrons.

Space Dust Research & Technologies SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. High-Cadence Microgravity Silicon Semiconductor Crystal Manufacturing Shortfall: In-Space and On-Surface Manufacturing of Parts/Products from Surface and Terrestrial Feedstocks Commercial Orbital System for Microgravity In-Space Crystallization (COSMIC) is a prototype processing and re-entry system that can be hosted on readily available commercial orbital platforms.

The re-entry vehicle is engineered for high-cadence payload return of materials manufactured in space. The recoverable COSMIC payload aims to enable high-temperature silicon crystal growth in microgravity and support scalable, low-cost in-space manufacturing.

›› View the SpaceWorks application video Learn more about the SpaceWorks COSMIC system about High-Cadence Microgravity Silicon Semiconductor Crystal Manufacturing SpaceWorks RED (Reentry Device) during ground operations prior to high-altitude drop development test.

SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) e5 Lab Mars Atmospheric Reactor for Synthesis of Consumables (MARS-C) Shortfall: Produce Propellants and Mission Consumables from Extracted In-situ Resources The e5 Lab’s MARS-C provides an electrochemical in-situ resources utilization (ISRU) approach to producing oxygen, hydrogen, and C1 and C2 hydrocarbons at Martian temperatures and pressures.

Using water with dissolved and suspended minerals from the Martian regolith and atmospheric carbon dioxide may enable simultaneous electrolysis of the brine and gas to produce hydrocarbons and oxygen on Mars.

›› View the UTSA application video Learn more about the UTSA MARS-C technology about Mars Atmospheric Reactor for Synthesis of Consumables (MARS-C) Front view of the Mars-C payload showing the individual electrochemical cell and camera arrangement. Shrihari “Shri” Sankarasubramanian (project PI, standing) is seen consulting with Eugene Hoffmann (SWRI engineer, sitting) on data outputs on the laptop computer.

Prior and Ongoing TechLeap Challenges Universal Payload Interface Challenge (UPIC) Learn more about the UPIC Nighttime Precision Landing (NPL) Challenge Autonomous Observation Challenge (AOC) Learn more about the AOC challenge NASA TechLeap: Space Technology Payload Challenge (Pre-Submission Webinar) Watch the pre-submission webinar Space Technology Payload Challenge: More on the Latest TechLeap Prize Watch the STPC informational webinar Preliminary Q&A: Space Technology Payload Challenge Learn More and Get Involved Community of Practice Webinars Designed to distill and share the most important lessons learned by suborbital researchers, these webinars are chance to hear from subject matter experts on best practices for preparing for suborbital flight tests.

Find a wealth of information, including our Community of Practice webinar series, Flight Opportunities' Lessons Learned Library, newsletter archives, program reports and fact sheets, and solicitation archives. You are welcome and encouraged to contact us to learn more about NASA's Flight Opportunities program. (nasa-flightopportunities@mail.

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