NASA proudly announces the triumphant culmination of its third TechRise Student Challenge, a groundbreaking nationwide competition designed to ignite the passion for technology, science, and space exploration among students. Sixty exceptional student teams from across the United States have emerged victorious, poised to transform their proposed science and technology experiments into reality. These innovative projects will take flight during NASA-sponsored suborbital flight tests scheduled for the upcoming summer.

Launched in August, the TechRise Student Challenge invited students in grades six through 12 from U.S. public, private, or charter schools, including those in U.S. territories, to submit their visionary experiments. The winning teams, comprised of over 490 students representing 46 states and territories, will witness their experiments soar into the stratosphere on either a high-altitude balloon operated by World View of Tucson, Arizona, or the Xodiac rocket-powered lander operated by Astrobotic of Pittsburgh.

Prasun Desai, Deputy Associate Administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, emphasized the agency's commitment to cultivating creativity and curiosity among students. Desai highlighted TechRise as a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on knowledge, develop real payloads for flight, and embark on a transformative educational journey.

The winning proposals encompass a diverse array of science and technology challenges, from studying the effects of stratospheric conditions on plant seeds to testing radiation shielding materials. The experiments also include the use of sensors such as thermal cameras and lidar to map a simulated lunar surface.

Each winning team will receive $1,500 to bring their experiments to life, along with technical support from Future Engineers. The experiments will be housed in a flight box, and students will have an assigned spot for their experiments on a suborbital flight test scheduled for this summer. Managed by NASA's Flight Opportunities program, the challenge aims to rapidly demonstrate technologies for space exploration through suborbital testing with industry flight providers.

Experiments tested on the high-altitude balloon will endure approximately four hours of flight time at 70,000 feet, experiencing Earth's upper atmosphere, high-altitude radiation, and gaining perspective views of our planet. Meanwhile, those tested on the lander will fly for about two minutes at an altitude of 80 feet over Astrobotic’s Lunar Surface Proving Ground, simulating the Moon's surface.

Amy Becker, TechRise educator lead for the winning team from Clear Creek Middle School in Ellijay, Georgia, expressed excitement about the hands-on experience this challenge offers students. Becker highlighted the opportunity for students to acquire technical knowledge, essential skills like effective communication and critical thinking, and witness their ideas materialize into tangible projects.

A panel of approximately 200 volunteer judges, with expertise in engineering, space, and Earth science, meticulously reviewed entries. The judges selected the winning teams based on criteria such as experiment originality, its impact on education or society, feasibility, and the quality of the build plan. Notably, the scoring process aimed to encourage equitable student participation, geographic representation, and allotted additional points for Title I-eligible schools.

Managed by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and administered by Future Engineers, TechRise stands as a testament to NASA's commitment to inspire a deeper understanding of Earth's atmosphere, surface features, and climate among students. The program fosters learning in space exploration, coding, electronics, and the value of test data. TechRise represents a vital component of NASA's array of Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing efforts within the Space Technology Mission Directorate, offering students unparalleled opportunities to engage with America’s space program.