NASA Launches 2027 Human Lander Challenge to Advance Lunar Communications

NASA’s 2027 Human Lander Challenge invites U.S. college and university students to propose innovative, systems-level solutions for critical lunar communications needs, supporting sustained Moon exploration.

As NASA pursues long-term human presence through the Artemis and Moon Base programs, robust communications will be as vital as spacecraft and rockets. A resilient network will connect astronauts, rovers, habitats, landers, and mission control on Earth. Reliable links are essential for safety, coordination, and timely decisions in the harsh lunar environment.

“Reliable communications are central to our ability to explore and operate on the Moon,” said Jeremy Del Greco, Human Landing System program communications integration lead at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. “As Artemis and Moon Base expand our presence beyond Earth, dependable connections across the surface and beyond are needed. This challenge gives students a chance to shape future communications capabilities.”

The competition asks teams to develop solutions to understand, establish, and optimize lunar communications for landers and surface operations, feasible within three to five years.

Teams should submit a non-binding notice of intent by Oct. 15. Full proposal packages (5–7 pages plus a 2-minute video) are due March 4, 2027.

NASA has identified three focus areas:

• Hardware: Space-rated wireless networks and electronics; antenna signal propagation, modeling, and environmental mitigation.
• Software: Data efficiency and link optimization; network management and scheduling.
• Architecture: Surface communications system architecture; orbital communications system architecture.

Up to 12 finalist teams will receive $9,000 and advance to phase 2, featuring a final design review in Huntsville, Alabama (Marshall Space Flight Center) June 21–24, 2027. The top three teams share $18,000.

The Human Lander Challenge is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace for NASA, fostering innovative solutions for long-duration human spaceflight. Sponsored by the Human Landing System Program Office under the Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate.

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