2026 Finalist Teams

NASA’s 2026 HuLC Competition Forum was held June 23-25, 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama.

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2026 Challenge Archive

This page is an archive of the technical papers, posters and presentations from NASA’s 2026 HuLC Competition.
The 2026 HuLC Forum was held June 23-25, 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama.

2026 Theme: Long Duration Spaceflight Environmental Control Life Support System (ECLSS)

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.

Through the HuLC competition, NASA is engaging students for ideas to help achieve their lunar exploration goals (refer to NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development and NASA’s Initial and Sustained Artemis Human Landing Systems). This year’s theme focuses on enhancing life support functionality through more efficient hardware, quieter habitats, safer water delivery, and improved resource sharing on planetary surfaces, while considering the integrated nature of ECLSS within future exploration architectures. The 2026 HuLC competition asks student teams to develop and propose innovative, systems-level solutions that improve critical aspects of Long Duration Spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) performance. 

2026 Finalist Teams

Click on each image to view the full project poster. Posters may take a moment to load.

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

“Cryogenic Quick Connect (CQC)”

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

“Modular Acoustic Suppression System (MASS)”

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

“Peltier-based Hydration Accumulation Terminal (PHAT)”

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, DAYTONA BEACH

“Advanced Quality Orbital Rehydration Assembly (AQUORA)”

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, PRESCOTT

“Atmospheric Electrochemical Transformation for Habitat and Environmental Regeneration (AETHER)”

NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY

“Sensor Package for Internal Detection In Extraterrestrial Regions (SPIDER)”

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

“Enhanced Potable Water Dispenser (EPWD)”

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

“Microgravity Blood Infusion Pump”

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

“Acoustic Metamaterial Panel for Spacecraft Noise Suppression”

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

“Standardized Universal Lunar Fluid Interface (SULFi)”

(Withdrawn from Phase 2)

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY

“Space Temperature Regulated Efficient Aqua Module (STREAM)”

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

“Evaporator-Based Potable Water Dispenser (EBPWD) for Long-Duration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS)”

FIRST PLACE WINNER

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

Project: PHAT: Peltier-based Hydration Accumulation Terminal
Advisor: John Chen

SECOND PLACE WINNER

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Project: Enhanced Potable Water Dispenser (EPWD)
Advisor: Thomas Cunningham

THIRD PLACE WINNER

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, DAYTONA BEACH

Project: Advanced Quality Orbital Rehydration Assembly (AQUORA)
Advisor: Erik Seedhouse

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

Project: CQC: Cryogenic Quick Connection
Advisor: John Chen

CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO

Project: MASS: Modular Acoustic Suppression System
Advisor: John Chen

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, PRESCOTT

Project: AETHER: Atmospheric Electrochemical Transformation for Habitat and Environmental Regeneration
Advisors: Siwei Fan, Ron Madler

NEW MEXICO INSTITUTE OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY

Project: Sensor Package for Internal Detection in Extraterrestrial Regions (SPIDER)
Advisor: Mostafa Hassanalian

**AWARD: BEST INNOVATION**

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

Project: Microgravity Blood Infusion Pump
Advisor: Curtis Marshall

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Project: Acoustic Metamaterial Composite Panel (AMP) for Spacecraft Noise Suppression
Advisor: Jingfei Liu

**AWARD: BEST PROTOTYPE**

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

WITHDRAWN FROM PHASE 2

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Project: STREAM: Space Temperature Regulated Efficient Aqua Module
Advisors: Jose Jesus Sanchez, Marcos Villareal, Dr. Noe Vargas, Gregory Potter

**AWARD: BEST POSTER**

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

Project: Evaporator-Based Potable Water Dispenser for Long-Duration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems
Advisors: Stephen Robinson, Janine Moses (Intuitive Machines)

2026 Judging Panel

Arthur Brown
Co-Chair, Judge

Zach Bryant
Co-Chair, Judge

Steven Balistreri
Judge

Chris Brown
Judge

Leon Chen
Judge

BettyLynn Mason
Judge

Kaitlin Oliver-Butler
Judge

2026 Media

Has your team been covered by any media throughout NASA’s 2026 HuLC Competition?
Send the information to HuLC@nianet.org for it to be added to the list below!

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