NASA'S 2027 HUMAN LANDER CHALLENGE - SNEAK PEEK
2027 Theme: Lunar Communications
NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is asking collegiate teams to help address one of the most critical needs for sustained lunar exploration: reliable communications. As NASA advances Artemis missions and prepares for a long-term human presence on the Moon and building the Moon Base, future lunar operations will require resilient communications systems that connect astronauts, rovers, habitats, landers, relay assets, and Earth.
For the 2027 competition, NASA asks teams to develop innovative, systems-level solutions to understand, establish, and optimize lunar communications systems for landers and surface operations that can be implemented within 3-5 years. Potential solution areas include, but are not limited to:
Hardware
- Space-Rated Wireless Networks and Electronics: Develop resilient wireless networking and communications technologies that enable seamless connectivity among astronauts, rovers, habitats, and landers in the harsh lunar environment.
- Antenna Signal Propagation, Modeling, and Environmental Mitigation: Design antenna systems and predictive models that improve communication reliability in the lunar environment by overcoming challenges posed by terrain, regolith, dust, and thermal extremes.
Software
- Data Efficiency and Link Optimization: Develop next-generation data compression, modulation, and communications architectures that maximize bandwidth efficiency, prioritize mission-critical information, and improve the reliability of Earth-Moon communications.
- Network Management and Scheduling: Design an intelligent network management solution that dynamically allocates limited ground station antennas and spacecraft radios, prioritizes mission-critical and emergency traffic, and efficiently supports dozens of cislunar users.
Architecture
- Surface Comm System Architecture: Design a scalable lunar surface communications network that uses relay nodes, redundant communication paths, and resilient mission operations capable of supporting an expanding lunar presence.
- Orbital Comm System Architecture: Design a scalable lunar relay satellite architecture that provides continuous or near-continuous communications coverage, connects lunar surface assets with Earth, and integrates orbital and surface networks into a resilient communications system that minimizes single points of failure.
Prizes
Phase 1
Up to 12 teams will earn $9,000 each and advance to Phase 2.
Phase 2
1st Place: $10,000 Grand Prize
2nd Place: $5,000
3rd Place: $3,000
Eligibility
The HuLC competition is open to teams of students at accredited U.S.-based colleges and universities.
Dates and Deadlines
Phase 1
2027 HuLC Phase 1 Dates & Deadlines
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| October 15, 2026 | Deadline to Submit a Non-Binding Notice of Intent (NOI) |
| October 22, 2026 | Deadline to Submit Questions in Advance for Q&A Session |
| November 16, 2026 | Q&A Session for Interested Teams |
| March 4, 2027 | Deadline to Submit a Proposal and 2-Minute Video |
| April 7, 2027 | Teams Notified of Selection Status |
Phase 2
2027 HuLC Phase 2 Dates & Deadlines
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2027 | Deadline to Submit a Technical Paper |
| June 17, 2026 | Deadline to Submit Presentation Chart Deck and Digital Poster Files |
| June 21-24, 2026 | 2027 HuLC Forum in Huntsville, AL |
NASA's Human Lander Challenge
NASA’s Human Lander Challenge (HuLC) is an initiative supporting its Human Spaceflight Mission Directorate’s (HSMD’s) efforts to explore innovative solutions for a variety of known Human Landing System (HLS) challenge areas. Through this competition, college students contribute to the advancement of HLS technologies, concepts, and approaches. Improvements in these technology areas have the potential to revolutionize NASA’s approach to space exploration, and contributions from the academic community are a valuable part of the journey to discovery.