Arizona/NASA Space Grant Consortium

Have you been inspired by the NASA Psyche Mission? Become a Psyche Inspired Intern!

The Psyche spacecraft launched Oct. 13, 2023, on a 6-year mission to reach and explore a unique metal-rich asteroid with the same name.

So how can you get involved in the mission? Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from ANY discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works.

Application Deadline: Friday, August 28, 2026, at 12 p.m. (PDT)

Eligibility Criteria: Full-time enrolled undergraduate students at universities and community colleges in the United States or its territories, regardless of major.

What will Psyche Inspired interns do?
Psyche Inspired interns will use their creative talents to share, explain, and highlight the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission.

Check out some of the inspiring artwork completed by former interns!
Image 1: Crater Crawler by Martha Quirie
Image 2: The Memory of a Metal World by Remy Cantrelle
Image 3: The Pursuit of Psyche by Lachan Morlan
Image 4: The Space Between by Julia Stephens

This is a great opportunity to be part of NASA in an exciting, impactful way! Apply today at: https://psyche.ssl.berkeley.edu/get-involved/psyche-inspired/psyche-inspired-application-gold-class/

💫Join NASA TechLeap Prize – Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge!

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, July 29

Application Deadline: Wednesday, Aug. 12

Managed by NASA's Flight Opportunities program, this challenge aims to advance persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. Applicants are invited to propose payloads that can interact with, be manipulated by, or be reconfigured by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit.

🌙Up to three winners will be selected, with the opportunity to win up to $500,000 each across three phases. NASA intends to fly these payloads aboard an orbital spacecraft that will rendezvous with the Fly Foundational Robots (FFR) platform. The FFR mission is expected to launch in late 2027, and the TechLeap payloads are slated to launch in early 2028.

Visit the challenge website, linked below, to read the application requirements, rules, technical guidelines, and scoring rubric that will be used to assess all valid applications.

Home - Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge Advancing persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. NASA Flight Opportunities invites applicants to propose payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. Register for the challenge by July 29 Video for illustrative purposes only About the....

Are You Interested in NASA? Join This Internship Webinar! (7/31/26)

Join NASA Internships for an exclusive virtual event showcasing the next generation STEM workforce.

Launch Your Future: NASA Internships Webinar
Friday, July 31, 2026 | 1–2PM ET
Registration will close on Thursday, July 30.

During this webinar, you'll have the opportunity to connect directly with NASA OSTEM and Pathways representatives to learn about internship opportunities at NASA. We'll cover eligibility requirements, the application process, and tips for submitting a competitive application. You'll also hear firsthand from current NASA interns as they share their experiences and advice for success. Whether you're just beginning to explore opportunities or preparing to apply, this session will provide the information and resources you need to start your NASA journey.

Please note that you must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible to participate.

Meeting links will be sent via email the day before the event (Thursday, July 30) and again on the day of the event (Friday July 31).

Register at: https://stemgateway.nasa.gov/s/course-offering/a0BSJ000007PYYj2AO/launch-your-future-nasa-internships-webinar-73126

🎉Former 2013-14 ERAU Space Grant Intern Returns to Embry-Riddle, Now as Assistant Professor!💫

Back in 2013, Victoria Walker was a Space Grant intern at ERAU working on a project titled “Ice Crystal Parameterizations in Arctic Cirrus - Towards a Better Representation in Global Climate Models and Aircraft Icing Potential Studies”. Victoria graduated from ERAU in 2014 with a B.S. in Applied Meteorology.

Victoria says, “Gaining undergraduate research experience through AZ Space Grant and NASA's Student Airborne Research Program aided me both professionally and personally in the transition to graduate school.”

“I received M.S. (2016) and Ph.D. (2019) degrees in Agricultural Meteorology from Iowa State University before working as a postdoctoral research scientist in both academic and government settings. Now I've brought those years of experience in remote sensing, modeling, and observing in situ, back to ERAU where I am an Assistant Professor of Meteorology.”

Congratulations, Victoria! We are happy to have you back at ERAU! ✨

Photo credit: Victoria Walker

📸✨ Album drop! ✨📸

The photos from the AZ Space Grant Statewide Student Research Symposium are finally here, and they're worth the wait! 🚀💙

What an incredible way to wrap up the year! From inspiring research to celebrating our amazing students, this event was one to remember. Take a stroll down memory lane and relive all the excitement with us.

It's been a busy season behind the scenes, and processing hundreds of event photos takes time—but we're excited to finally share them with you! 🎉

Visit our 'Albums' and go to the Symposium 2026 (Friday and Saturday) folders, browse the full album, tag your friends, and share your favorite moments.

Thank you Desiree Crawl and Megan Miller for capturing these special moments.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azspacegrant/photos_albums

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🚀 Big news for the University of Arizona! 🌵

Two of the nine university teams selected nationwide for NASA's Moon to Mars eXploration Systems and Habitation (M2M X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge are from the University of Arizona! 🎉👏

Selected by NASA and the National Space Grant Foundation, these teams will help develop innovative technologies that support future space habitats and deep space exploration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. 🌙➡️🔴

The M2M X-Hab Challenge gives students invaluable hands-on experience in aerospace research and engineering while helping shape the future of human space exploration. Many past participants have gone on to careers in the aerospace industry—including at NASA.

Congratulations to our incredible students, faculty, and research teams on this outstanding achievement! 🚀🐻⬇️

🎙️ Check out this fascinating podcast on the economics of space exploration! 🚀

Former AZ Space Grant Intern (2005), Dr. Dani DellaGiustina, is now an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona and a leader in planetary science. As Deputy Principal Investigator for NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission and Principal Investigator for the OSIRIS-APEX mission, she shares insights into how public and private investments are shaping the future of space exploration.

🎧 Tune in to The Economics of Space Exploration, an Arizona Public Media production, and hear how science, innovation, and economics are coming together to expand our reach into the solar system.

Listen here: https://originals.azpm.org/p/navigating/2026/6/1/229969-the-economics-of-space-exploration/

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The Economics of Space Exploration New tech, mining and exploration are just some of the drivers behind the growing economy of space.