{"id":195696,"date":"2025-04-05T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=844643"},"modified":"2025-04-05T03:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T17:00:00","slug":"nasa-selects-finalist-teams-for-student-human-lander-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=195696","title":{"rendered":"NASA Selects Finalist Teams for Student Human Lander Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\">\n<div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\">\n<div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\">\n<figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?w=1500\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) banner.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png 1500w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=300,100 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=768,256 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=1024,341 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=400,133 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=600,200 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=900,300 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/2025-hulc-graphic-banner-image.png?resize=1200,400 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NASA has selected 12 student teams to develop solutions for storing and transferring the super-cold liquid propellants needed for future long-term exploration beyond Earth orbit.<\/p>\n<p>The agency\u2019s 2025 Human Lander Challenge is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of engineers and scientists as NASA and its partners prepare to send astronauts to the Moon through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/artemis\/\">Artemis<\/a> campaign in preparation for future missions to Mars. The commercial human landing systems will serve as the primary mode of transportation that will safely take astronauts and, later, large cargo from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back.<\/p>\n<p>For its second year, the competition invites university students and their faculty advisors to develop <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/esdmd\/artemis-campaign-development-division\/human-landing-system-program\/nasa-challenge-seeks-cooler-solutions-for-deep-space-exploration\/\">innovative, \u201ccooler\u201d solutions<\/a> for in-space cryogenic, or super cold, liquid propellant storage and transfer systems. These cryogenic fluids, like liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen, must stay extremely cold to remain in a liquid state, and the ability to effectively store and transfer them in space will be increasingly vital for future long-duration missions. Current technology allows cryogenic liquids to be stored for a relatively short amount of time, but future missions will require these systems to function effectively over several hours, weeks, and even months.<\/p>\n<p>The 12 selected finalists have been awarded a $9,250 development stipend to further develop their concepts in preparation for the next stage of the competition.<\/p>\n<p>The 2025 Human Lander Challenge finalist teams are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, <\/strong><em>\u201cTHERMOSPRING: Thermal Exchange Reduction Mechanism using Optimized SPRING\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Colorado School of Mines, <\/strong><em>\u201cMAST: Modular Adaptive Support Technology\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, <\/strong><em>\u201cElectrical Capacitance to High-resolution Observation (ECHO)\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Jacksonville University, <\/strong><em>\u201cCryogenic Complex: Cryogenic Tanks and Storage Systems \u2013 on the Moon and Cislunar Orbit\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Jacksonville University, <\/strong><em>\u201cCryogenic Fuel Storage and Transfer: The Human Interface \u2013 Monitoring and Mitigating Risks\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Massachusetts Institute of Technology, <\/strong><em>\u201cTHERMOS: Translunar Heat Rejection and Mixing for Orbital Sustainability\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Old Dominion University, <\/strong><em>\u201cStructural Tensegrity for Optimized Retention in Microgravity (STORM)\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Texas A&amp;M University, <\/strong><em>\u201cNext-generation Cryogenic Transfer and Autonomous Refueling (NeCTAR)\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>The College of New Jersey, <\/strong><em>\u201cCryogenic Orbital Siphoning System (CROSS)\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Ohio State University, <\/strong><em>\u201cAutonomous Magnetized Cryo-Couplers with Active Alignment Control for Propellant Transfer (AMCC-AAC)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, <\/strong><em>\u201cEfficient Cryogenic Low Invasive Propellant Supply Exchange (ECLIPSE)\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Washington State University, <\/strong><em>\u201cCRYPRESS Coupler for Liquid Hydrogen Transfer\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finalist teams will now work to submit a technical paper further detailing their concepts. They will present their work to a panel of NASA and industry judges at the 2025 Human Lander Competition Forum in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center, in June 2025. The top three placing teams will share a total prize purse of $18,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy engaging college students in solving critical challenges in cryogenic fluid technologies and systems-level solutions, NASA fosters a collaborative environment where academic research meets practical application,\u201d said Tiffany Russell Lockett, office manager for the Human Landing System Mission Systems Management Office at NASA Marshall. \u201cThis partnership not only accelerates cryogenics technology development but also prepares the Artemis Generation \u2013 the next generation of engineers and scientists \u2013 to drive future breakthroughs in spaceflight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by the agency\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/nasa.gov\/hls\" rel=\"noopener\">Human Landing System Program<\/a> within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace.<\/p>\n<p>For more information on NASA\u2019s 2025 Human Lander Challenge, including team progress, visit the challenge website.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Media Contact<\/h2>\n<p><em>Corinne Beckinger<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/><em>Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/><em>256.544.0034&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<br \/><a href=\"mailto:corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov\"><em>corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov<\/em>&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA has selected 12 student teams to develop solutions for storing and transferring the super-cold liquid propellants needed for future long-term exploration beyond Earth orbit. The agency\u2019s 2025 Human Lander Challenge is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of engineers and scientists as NASA and its partners prepare to send astronauts to the [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15595,15606,16224,15673],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artemis","category-general","category-human-landing-system-program","category-marshall-space-flight-center"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195696"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":197085,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195696\/revisions\/197085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}