NASA EXPRESS -- Your STEM Connection for Jan. 22, 2026

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

NASA STEM Engagement NASA Day of Remembrance Today, NASA pauses to remember those who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery. On this NASA Day of Remembrance, NASA's Office of STEM Engagement honors the legacy of teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe by sharing her Challenger lost lessons. Join the Excitement of the Artemis II Mission Be a Virtual Guest at the Artemis II Launch and Sign Up to Receive the Artemis II STEM Learning Pathway Newsletter No later than April 2026, the Artemis II mission will launch a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon. You're invited to join NASA as a virtual guest for the mission. Virtual guests will receive communications about launch schedule changes, information about launch-related activities, and access to curated STEM resources.   Are you ready to sign up? Click here to register to let NASA know that you’re hosting a watch party, virtually participating, or would like to receive the Artemis II STEM Learning Pathway, an add-on at the bottom of the registration page. Summer 2026 Opportunities 2026 NASA Heliophysics Summer School Application Deadline:  Saturday, Jan. 31 Contact: bruyerec@ucar.edu   The NASA Heliophysics Summer School is a unique educational experience with hands-on learning and lectures focusing on the physics of space weather events that start at the Sun and influence atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres throughout the solar system. This year's event will be held July 21-29, in Boulder, Colorado.   Applicants must be majoring in a field related to heliophyics and be pursuing a career in heliophysics or astrophysics. There is no tuition cost for the event, and each participant receives full travel support to Boulder. Click here to learn more. 2026 NASA Student Airborne Research Program Application Deadline:  Saturday, Jan. 31 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. Are You Up for a Challenge? 2026 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) Entry Proposal and Video Submission Deadline: March 4 Contact: HuLC@nianet.org   As human exploration pushes beyond low Earth orbit toward sustained lunar presence and future missions to Mars, the role of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) becomes increasingly vital. Designing ECLSS for deep space is uniquely challenging due to mission duration, limited resupply, and extreme environmental conditions. NASA’s 2026 Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) invites collegiate student teams to develop innovative, systems-level solutions in response to one of the following subtopic areas that improve critical aspects of long-duration spaceflight ECLSS performance:  Noise suppression and control  Sensor reduction in hardware health monitoring systems  Potable water dispenser  Fluid transfer between surface assets on the Moon and Mars    Based on a review of initial proposals in Phase 1, up to 12 teams will be selected to receive a $9,000 prize and advance to Phase 2, which includes a final design review at the HuLC Forum in Huntsville, Alabama, in June 2026. Teams selected to advance to Phase 2 are responsible for developing a technical paper and poster, and giving an in-person presentation to a panel of NASA and industry subject matter experts during the HuLC Forum. The overall top three placing teams will share a total prize purse of $18,000. Click here to learn more. Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table Registration Deadline: July 31 Entry Deadline: Aug. 14 Contact: hq-stmd-centennialchallenges@mail.nasa.gov   As NASA plans for deep space missions that could last months or years, new ways to feed astronauts that are independent of Earth must be developed. The Deep Space Food Challenge: Mars to Table is a global competition inviting chefs, innovators, culinary experts, higher-education students, and citizen scientists to design a complete, Earth-independent food system for long-duration space missions.   U.S. participants will compete for part of a prize purse of up to $750,000 from NASA. International teams are also eligible to participate and receive recognition. Click here to learn more. Partner Opportunities 2026 International Astronautical Federation Emerging Space Leaders Grant Programme Application Deadline: Friday, Jan. 30 2026 Department of Energy Scholars Program Application Deadline: Monday, Feb. 16 Funding Opportunity: 2026 Environmental Education Grants Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 3 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. 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