Design Competition

For Students

Your Role during the design competition is to:

Be committed!

Throughout the spring semester, you will work with your teammates to brainstorm, research, and design a habitat in a Lunar Lava Tube.

Be creative!

You will build a 3D model of your habitat from recyclables. You can gather recyclables from home and your community.

Be dedicated!

You will work with your mentor and listen to guest speakers who are experts in space architecture, engineering, space exploration and more!

Over the course of the spring semester, you will support your students as they brainstorm, problem-solve, research, and implement the engineering design process. NWAY will work with you to connect your students with STEM mentors who will provide students with feedback on their projects. Together, this STEM-ecosystem helps students build 21st-century skills including creativity, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and much, much more!
Want to get a head start?

Learn more about the Moon and Lunar Lava Tubes by downloading the PDFs below!

About the Moon

Download the PDF

Lunar Lava Tubes

Download the PDF

Want more?

Here are some cool videos about the Moon, Lunar Lava Tubes, and exploration technology!

Want to see what students have done?

Check out this photo gallery from past lunar habitat competitions from NWAY partners.

Keep Up With NWAY

Follow us on social media for cool Space STEM videos, links, and other resources and check out recent NWAY news below.

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"The University of Texas Permian Basin has been awarded funding as part of the New Worlds Await You-II (NWAY-II) grant, a NASA-supported initiative aimed at engaging students in space-related STEM education. The grant, awarded in March 2024, is managed by the WEX...

In partnership with UTSA and UTeachSA, WEX Foundation awarded $800K NASA grant for unique space education program

Starting this fall, San Antonio middle school students will have a unique opportunity to design, build and test lunar lava tube habitat models made in afterschool programs with recyclable materials and simple supplies. These students are part of a new four-year...

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NASA’s vision for TEAM II is to enhance the capability of informal education institutions to host NASA-based learning activities while increasing the institutions’ capacity to bring NASA resources to students. The agency has selected four institutions to receive...
By helping to fund our programs for motivated Middle and High School students with an interest in exploring space, you advance 21st century careers for underrepresented minorities, female, and economically disadvantaged students.

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