Aerospace & Space Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Aerospace programs — NASA student challenges, rocketry competitions like TARC, and university aeronautics intensives — combine engineering, physics, and teamwork in the most literal moonshot niche.

Several are federally funded and free, including programs run directly by NASA centers.

35 verified programs match this page; 22 of the featured listings are completely free; 10 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• NASA International Space Apps Challenge — NASA: Solve real-world space and climate challenges in NASA’s global hackathon. This free competition lets high schoolers build coding, data science, and te
• NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) — NASA: Design and build aerospace hardware used on the ISS in this hands-on high school STEM program. Boost engineering skills and strengthen college applica
• NASA Student Launch — NASA: Design and launch high-power rockets in this exciting STEM competition. Gain hands-on aerospace experience, boost college applications, and explore en
• Underline Space Roundtable — Space Minds Center: The Space Minds Center was created to inspire interest and proactive thinking about space policy in emerging political science and international relat
• Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) National Finalist — Aerospace Industries Association: 100 teams compete at nationals. Design/build rockets to specific altitude/time. Winners represent USA at international.
• NASA App Development Challenge — NASA: Build apps for NASA missions. Winners present at NASA center.
• Lockheed Martin Code Quest — Lockheed Martin Corporation: Programming competition hosted by major defense contractor. Teams solve coding challenges. Exposure to aerospace industry and STEM careers.
• NSS Space Settlement Contest — National Space Society: International student design competition to create realistic space settlement concepts judged by space experts.
• Civil Air Patrol Cadet Programs — Civil Air Patrol / U.S. Air Force: Develop leadership, aviation, and aerospace skills through hands-on experiences in Civil Air Patrol’s high school cadet program. Boost college applica
• NASA Internships - High School — NASA: Gain hands-on STEM experience through a paid NASA internship. Perfect for high school students in grades 10-12 to boost college applications and build
• Astronaut Scholarship Foundation — Astronaut Scholarship Foundation: Prestigious STEM scholarship awarded by U.S. astronauts to high school seniors. Boost college applications and gain recognition for your passion in sc
• Air Force Academy Summer Seminar — USAFA: Transform your future with this free summer program! Explore leadership, aerospace, and character development in a hands-on academy designed for high
• Air Force & Space Force ROTC High School Scholarship — U.S. Air Force ROTC: Earn a full-tuition scholarship through this competitive ROTC program for high school seniors. Develop leadership skills and strengthen college applic
• The American Rocketry Challenge — AIA & Partners: Design, build, and launch rockets in the largest rocketry competition for grades 7-12. Boost STEM skills, gain hands-on experience, and impress colleg
• Texas High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS) — NASA Johnson Space Center: Explore aerospace and engineering through a free hybrid program for Texas high school juniors. Build STEM skills, gain hands-on experience, and boost
• USAF Academy Summer Seminar — United States Air Force Academy: Transform your summer with a hands-on leadership program at USAFA. Perfect for rising seniors passionate about aerospace, ethics, and cyber. Boost col
• International Aerospace Camp — University of North Dakota: Five-day residential aviation camp at UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences for 11th-12th graders: real flight instruction in UND aircraf
• Space Camp — U.S. Space & Rocket Center: Residential spaceflight-training camp in Huntsville, AL: ages 9-11 attend Space Camp, 12-14 Space Academy, and 15-18 Advanced Space Academy, flying si
• Plant the Moon Challenge — Institute of Competition Sciences: Global lunar-agriculture science challenge: teams of 1-5 students grow crops in lunar regolith simulant over an 8-week experiment, with a Jr division
• NASA Exoplanet Watch — NASA: NASA citizen-science project where anyone with a web-connected device helps monitor exoplanet transits - no telescope needed; request data from a robo
• Go For Launch! — Higher Orbits: Multi-day space-STEM events across the US where students in grades 8-12 design a space experiment alongside a NASA astronaut - winning team experiment
• Embry-Riddle Summer Camps — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Aviation, aerospace engineering, and space summer camps at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ campuses for ages 7-18, from week-long da
• Washington Aerospace Scholars — The Museum of Flight: Yearlong Museum of Flight program for Washington high school juniors: a free online UW aerospace course (Nov-Mar) leading to a six-day summer residenc
• NASA TechRise Student Challenge — NASA / Future Engineers: NASA's free flight-experiment challenge for school teams in grades 6-12: propose an experiment for a high-altitude balloon flight, and winning teams g
• Genes in Space — Genes in Space (miniPCR bio and Boeing): Free national competition for students in grades 7-12 to design a DNA experiment for the International Space Station — the winning proposal is launche
• EAA Air Academy — Experimental Aircraft Association: Week-long aviation camps at EAA headquarters. Includes flight training time. Multiple age-appropriate tracks.
• Zero Robotics Competition (MIT/NASA) — MIT / NASA: Program satellites that run on International Space Station. Finals broadcast from ISS.
• NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative — NASA: Student teams design and build small satellites launched by NASA. Real space mission experience. Demonstrates advanced engineering and project managem
• NASA Lunabotics Competition — NASA: University-level robotics competition to design, build, and operate lunar regolith mining robots for simulated Moon environments.
• International Space Olympics (ISO) — Korolyov Administration & Energia Rocket-Space Corporation: International space science competition in Russia combining exams, research projects, and cultural exchange for high school students.

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