Photo: NASA
Blue Skies is a NASA competition that challenges students to create visionary, climate-friendly solutions for the future of aviation. Our mission is to take on this challenge and think beyond conventional limits, working together and outside the box to solve modern aviation problems. We submit our initial project proposal to NASA in February and, if approved, receive $9,000 for our project to move on to the National competition at NASA Langley in May. Winning teams receive an internship with NASA.
We bring together students with diverse skills, passions, and backgrounds at Blue Skies. From engineers to English majors to environmental scientists, everyone at Blue Skies gains hands-on experience in engineering design, entrepreneurship, and teamwork, all while contributing to the broader goal of sustainable flight.
Form design teams of 6
Identify pain points and unmet needs in the competition theme space
Interview users and field experts to gain a deeper understanding of modern issues
Design and iterate on ambitious yet realistic sustainable technologies
Write a seven-page technical paper to be submitted to NASA
Gain hands-on experience in collaboration, entrepreneurship, and design
Technical writing
Research and empathy work
Design and prototyping
Creative problem solving No prior skills are required! Just a passion for problem-solving and innovation.
2025 Finalist and grant recipient
2024 Finalist, National Runner-Up, grant recipient
