5th Annual Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition
Design an 18-month Mars surface mission. Work with NASA scientists and aerospace engineers. Open to students aged 13–19, worldwide.
Course Overview
Modeled on the approach taken in engineering design courses at some of the best global universities, the virtual program involves morning and afternoon sessions (Monday–Friday) from June 8, 2026 – July 10, 2026, featuring lectures with leading scientists and engineers from NASA, the aerospace industry, and the academic community.
Students are tasked with designing a Mars surface mission of up to 18 months. This mission includes designing its habitat, surface vehicles, scientific instruments, power system and other equipment and supplies, crew size and composition, mission location, scientific objectives, rations, duration, and exploration plan.
Teams organize into three departments — Science, Engineering, and Human Operations — and keep four major factors in mind: Science, Engineering, Human Operational Challenges, and Cost.
Building on the success of past years, which welcomed over 100 students from across the world, this program continues to inspire young minds with its creative approach to science and engineering education.
Timeline
Submit your registration and payment
Opening lectures and team formation
Progress check and mentor feedback
25-page design report submission
3 rounds of presentation and defense
Winners announced and celebrated
Challenge Rubric
Design a human Mars mission. Purpose: accomplish as much scientific exploration as possible.
Mission Constraints
- Surface time: Up to 1.5 years
- Mass budget: 30 metric tons (excludes transport)
- Launches: May split across two launches
- Crew: Up to 6 Marsonauts
- Habitat: 8m max rigid; larger inflatable
Include in Mass Budget
- Habitat & life support systems
- Supplies & consumables
- Scientific instruments
- Surface vehicles
- Crew mass
- Consider a safety margin
Design Considerations
- Crew: Who should be in the crew? What are their skills, training, and compatibility? Is there a commander? What type of space suits will they need?
- Water: How much water will your crew need? How will the crew get the water?
- Food: Bring it or grow it? Or both?
- Landing Site: Your choice. Equipment and vehicles should account for the terrain and fuel type.
- Power: What type of power supply would you use? Consider reliability and redundancy.
- Redundancy & Disputes: Build in redundancy for crew and equipment. How will your team resolve disputes?
Exploration Possibilities
How do you reach the best possible overall design? This will generally include a compromise between optimizing the various features of your design.
Design Report
Due at the end of the 4th week. Designs are to be written in a report format and submitted by the deadline.
Format Requirements
- 25-page limit, 12-point font, standard margins
- You may use publicly available images or draw your own
- Reference your information (references not counted in 25 pages)
Report Sections
- Science — research objectives and methods
- Engineering — technical systems and design
- Human Operations — crew logistics and factors
Sections do not have to be equal length. Each team member is responsible for writing their own portion.
Presentations & Debates
Three rounds of presentation and peer review, each 30 minutes per team:
- Present Your Design — Present your design verbally with any visuals you would like to share.
- Critique Other Teams — Each team critiques other teams' designs, pointing out flaws. You can critique any teams with no limit on criticisms.
- Defend Your Design — Each team defends their design from criticisms leveled in Round 2. This is your "closing argument" and the final scored component.
After Round 3: Judges provide feedback to allow you to revise your final paper prior to publication in book form by the Mars Society. This does not affect your competition score.
Scoring
Judging is 100 points on the following merits:
Resources
- Lecture Playlist — Watch on-demand lectures from this year and previous years
- Mars Direct — Dr. Robert Zubrin (Required Viewing)
- Marspedia — Browse the Mars encyclopedia for detailed reference material
Suggested Marspedia articles: Liquid Water, Extant Life, Humans to Mars, Rover, Jezero Crater, Terraforming Mars, Mars Atlas Geology
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate?
Students aged 13–19 from anywhere in the world. No prior engineering experience required — just curiosity and enthusiasm for Mars exploration.
How much does it cost?
Registration is $99. The tuition fee is nominal, making it possible for students of all economic levels to participate. Scholarships are available — contact us to inquire.
Is this program online or in-person?
The program runs online Monday through Friday for 5 weeks, making it accessible to students worldwide regardless of location.
What technology do I need?
A computer with a reliable internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone. All collaboration tools and resources are provided by the program.
Can we land additional personnel?
No, you are limited to 6 crew members. You can have anywhere from 1 to 6 crewmembers on your mission.
Can we assume a communication system is in place?
Yes! Several Mars orbiters are already in place: MAVEN, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Express, and the 2001 Mars Odyssey. You can assume use of all of these assets for communication back to Earth and between elements of your mission.
Can we utilize other active space missions?
Yes. You can utilize other space missions active as of today, as well as assume that you have transportation to Mars for your 30 metric tons of cargo. You can also include studying the Mars moons as a scientific target.
What does the 25-page limit include?
The 25-page limit includes all content: annexes, graphs, calculations, and your list of references (with hyperlinks). The only thing excluded is the full text of any referenced documents.