NASA’s ORBIT student competition takes team registrations until November 16
NASA's September 28 ORBIT guide points eligible student teams toward a competition using space technologies and inventions, with registration due November 16 and up to $500,000 shared across its prizes.
NASA's new ORBIT notice sets out two routes into its 2026–27 student competition: develop an Earth application for a NASA patent, or propose a technology addressing a space-exploration need.
On that second route a patent may help, but applying one only for its original purpose is not enough. Registration opened September 14. The September 28 announcement makes an existing opportunity worth examining; it is not a new grant awarded to every applicant.
Eligibility comes first. A team needs an eligible U.S. lead institution, a faculty advisor employed there and no more than six students. At least 60% of its students must attend that institution. The lead must be an HBCU, tribal college or university, or an eligible institution identified in the Department of Education's FY 2026 matrix. Participants must be at least 18 and meet enrollment and citizenship or residency rules; students at other U.S. institutions can join a qualifying team.
The official timetable gives November 16 as the registration deadline, without a cutoff time or timezone. The rules give a separate, precise deadline for the first concept submission: December 14 at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific. Register well before the last day rather than assuming a midnight cutoff.
The advertised $500,000 is the maximum prize pool across stages and awards, not the amount available to one team. A physical working prototype is not required. Finalists can receive mentorship, but the programme provides no separate travel support for the in-person showcase. Before building, read the rules with a faculty advisor and agree how the institution would handle prize funds and travel.
Take it further
Check eligibility and register the team · Deadline: 16 November 2026Registration date only: the organiser does not publish a cutoff time or timezone. All students must register; review lead-institution and individual eligibility first.
Review the first concept requirements · Deadline: 14 December 2026Phase 1 submission closes at 3 p.m. Eastern / noon Pacific. Registration is a separate, earlier step.
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Paste the brief into your voice app to discuss this reporting.Revised 4 October 2026. Reporting and visuals refined. Original source dates and prior checks retained.
The September 28 NASA notice highlights a competition that opened September 14. Eligibility and current deadlines were rechecked; the opening date is preserved. Checked 29 September 2026.
Reporting sources
- NASA — September 28 ORBIT notice
Published and updated September 28; registration opened September 14. Two pathways and maximum total prize pool.
- ORBIT — official rules
Version 1.0, September 9. Authoritative eligibility, team composition, phased prizes and December 14, 3 p.m. Eastern concept deadline.
- ORBIT — competition timetable
November 16 registration date and later phases; dates may change. Registration cutoff time and timezone are not stated.
- ORBIT — participant FAQ
Clarifies optional prototypes, lead-institution eligibility and absence of separate travel support. Checked September 29.
- ORBIT — registration instructions
Student registration through NASA STEM Gateway. The external application itself could not be retrieved; no application was made.
Images & figures
Teams choose a primary pathway: Earth applications of NASA patents or civil-space proposals. An optional bonus rewards combining both. The eligibility checks shown are selective; consult the full rules. Up to $500,000 is shared across competition prizes, not awarded to each team.