NASA Programs for High School Students

NASA runs real research and engineering programs for high school students — internships at its centers, citizen-science projects with flight data, and app and design challenges judged by working engineers.

These are among the strongest aerospace credentials a student can earn before college, and they're free: NASA programs select on curiosity and persistence, and many are open to students nationwide.

14 verified NASA programs, 14 free — every listing includes cost, eligibility, deadline, and the official application link.

Featured programs

Browse 14+ 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
• NASA App Development Challenge — NASA: Build apps for NASA missions. Winners present at NASA center.
• International Observe the Moon Night — NASA: A yearly global public event inviting people to observe, learn about, and celebrate the Moon through organized in-person and online activities.
• 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
• 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
• NASA GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS) — NASA GeneLab: Explore bioinformatics and genomics in this free online summer program for high school students. Gain hands-on research skills and boost your college
• NASA Astrobiology Research Competition — NASA: Explore astrobiology through hands-on research in this free high school competition. Build STEM skills, boost college applications, and engage with NA
• 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
• 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 SEES High School Summer Intern Program — The University of Texas at Austin - Center for Space Research: Remote data-driven NASA projects with on-campus residency for finalists.
• NASA Lunabotics Competition — NASA: University-level robotics competition to design, build, and operate lunar regolith mining robots for simulated Moon environments.

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