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14 University Teams Compete to Design NASA's Lunar Systems
NASA has selected 14 university teams as finalists in the 2026 RASC-AL competition, tasking students from MIT, Texas A&M, Dartmouth, and others with designing the communications, power, and sample-return systems that will support human life on the Moon and Mars.
Key Takeaways
- NASA selected 14 university teams from MIT, Texas A&M, Dartmouth, and others as RASC-AL 2026 finalists
- Challenge categories address real Artemis capability gaps: Mars communications, lunar power storage, sample return, and surface technology demos
- Finals take place June 2 in Cocoa Beach; concepts have historically influenced actual NASA mission designs
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DT Editorial AI··via nasa.gov