NASA announced MIT as the first-place winner of the 2026 RASC-AL competition for the Exploration-Class Lunar Integrated Power System (ECLIPSE).

The competition aims to bridge gaps in aerospace technology by having university teams develop mission architectures, systems engineering approaches, and technical communication to support Artemis mission goals.

Fourteen finalists presented at the RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, receiving real-time engineering feedback on their mission architectures, technology solutions, and supporting analyses.

NASA officials highlighted the program’s role in developing workforce skills and translating innovative concepts into technically rigorous studies suitable for real-world aerospace problem-solving.

They emphasized that RASC-AL demonstrates students' ability to convert innovative concepts into mission-aligned, technically rigorous studies and prepare them for real-world aerospace challenges.

MIT finished second with the Mars Exploration Layered Infrastructure for Operations, Research, and Advancement (MELIORA), while Virginia Tech took third with the Mars Pylon Network.

Virginia Tech earned third place with the Mars Pylon Network concept.

MIT also earned second place with MELIORA.

Other Best in Lunar Sample Return Concept went to South Dakota State University with SELENE, Best in Lunar Technology Demonstrations Leveraging Common Infrastructure went to MIT with CHEESEBURGER, and Best Prototype awards went to Embry-Riddle Worldwide Campus with Project AUREVO and UIUC/Leonardo da Vinci Engineering School with MATRIX.

The competition is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace and managed by the NASA Tournament Lab, under NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program as part of the RASC-AL collaboration.

Several special awards recognized excellence in specific themes, including Best in Communications for Mars Surface Operations (MIT with MELIORA) and Best in Lunar Surface Power and Power Management (MIT with ECLIPSE).