NASA EXPRESS -- Your STEM Connection for Dec. 11, 2025

Check out NASA's latest STEM opportunities and learning resources.

NASA STEM Engagement Make a STEM Connection: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Milestone On Nov. 25, technicians joined the inner and outer portions of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the largest clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Scheduled to launch by May 2027, the Roman Space Telescope will look at billions of cosmic objects to explore how planets, stars, and galaxies form and develop over time.  Explore the resources below to make a STEM connection to this trailblazing mission that will unveil the cosmos in ways that have never been possible before. Video: Roman's View of the Dynamic Universe Frequently Asked Question: Roman Space Telescope Basics Fun Activities Bake a cosmic cake, color spacey scenes, and 3-D print your own Roman Space Telescope. Education and Outreach Materials Explore Roman resources for educators, students, and space enthusiasts. Roman Space Observer Video Game How many astrophysical objects and phenomena can you catch? Visit the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission website to learn more. Help Spot Comets With Rubin Comet Catchers Comets are more than just cosmic curiosities – they carry vital clues about the origin of Earth’s water and the building blocks for life! Now you can help researchers spot them in images captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a new astronomy and astrophysics facility in Chile that is jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.   The Rubin Comet Catchers project invites you to scan images of known small solar system bodies – like asteroids – to look for evidence of activity in the form of a tail or coma (dust cloud). No prior experience needed! Do you want to keep up with the latest NASA citizen science opportunities? Join the Do NASA Science email list to receive monthly updates with news and new science projects you can be a part of. Send an email to do-nasa-science-join@lists.nasa.gov with “Subscribe” in the subject. Be sure to confirm your subscription! Higher Education Opportunities 2026 NASA Student Airborne Research Program Application Deadline: Jan. 31, 2026 Contact: joelle.n.hopkins@nasa.gov The NASA Student Airborne Research Program is an eight-week summer internship for rising senior undergraduate students interested in Earth system science. The program provides hands-on research experience in all aspects of a scientific campaign, including flying onboard a research aircraft and engaging with ground observations and satellite data. Participants will work in one of four interdisciplinary teams to study land, atmospheric, or oceanographic processes. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Participants receive a stipend, and travel/living expenses are covered. Click here to learn more. 2026 NASA Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Competition Entry Deadline: Feb. 23, 2026 Contact: rascal@nianet.org   The 2026 NASA RASC-AL competition challenges undergraduate and graduate students to push the boundaries of innovation and engineering to develop bold concepts that advance humanity’s ability to live and work on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This year, teams and their faculty advisors are invited to propose visionary solutions backed by supporting original engineering and analysis in response to one of the following themes: CPNT (Communication, Position, Navigation, and Timing) Architectures for Mars Surface Operations Lunar Surface Power and PMAD (Power Management and Distribution) Architectures Lunar Sample Return Concept Lunar Technology Demonstrations Leveraging Common Infrastructure Up to 14 teams may be chosen to present their concepts at the 2026 RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Each of those teams will receive a monetary award to facilitate full participation in the RASC-AL Forum competition.  Click here to learn more. Partner Opportunities Become a 2026 Planet Steward Application Deadline: Monday, Dec. 15 Presidential Artificial Intelligence (AI) Challenge Entry Deadline: Jan. 20, 2026 Lunar and Planetary Institute Professional Development Webinar: Strategies for Successful Interviews Event Date: Jan. 22, 2026 Want to subscribe to get this message delivered to your inbox each Thursday? Sign up for the NASA EXPRESS newsletter at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/nasa-express. Are you looking for NASA STEM materials? Search hundreds of resources at https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/search. Check out the ‘Science for Everyone’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit https://science.nasa.gov/for-everyone. To view the site in Spanish, visit https://ciencia.nasa.gov. Are you looking for more NASA prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing opportunities? Visit https://www.nasa.gov/get-involved/ to find ways to contribute to NASA’s work. Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email NASA Office of STEM Engagement We are engaging students in NASA’s exciting missions, broad range of careers, and unique opportunities. Visit nasa.gov/learning-resources/  Follow Us on Social Media The National Aeronautics and Space Administration As explorers, pioneers, and innovators, we boldly expand frontiers in air and space to inspire and serve America and to benefit the quality of life on Earth. Visit nasa.gov Follow NASA

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