Jump to content
Join the Alien Search, login or register FREE on Aliens and Space Forum
Members Can Post Anonymously On This Site

Collegiate Teams to Focus on Aviation Solutions for Agriculture in 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition  

NASA

By NASA
in NASA

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
NASA Mentor

NASA

Posted
  • Publishers
Posted

4 min read

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)

Students attending the 2024 Blue Skies Competition toured NASA’s Ames Research Center during the Forum.
Students attending the 2024 Blue Skies Competition toured NASA’s Ames Research Center during the Forum. 
NASA

In the 2025 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, the theme is AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture. NASA asks collegiate teams to investigate either new or improved aviation capabilities that could assist the agriculture industry by improving production, efficiency, environmental impact and extreme weather/climate resilience. 

The agriculture industry plays a vital role in providing food, fuel, and fiber for the global population; however, it is facing several challenges, including limited resources and growing demands to reduce agriculture’s environmental impact while increasing its climate resilience. With a growing world population, the demand for food continues to rise, putting pressure on available resources such as arable land, water, and energy. The changing climate exacerbates these challenges by leading to unpredictable weather patterns, extreme temperatures and natural disasters affecting crop yields and livestock. NASA Aeronautics is dedicated to expanding its efforts to assist commercial, industry, and government partners in advancing aviation systems that could modernize capabilities in agriculture. 

“This is an area where innovative aviation technologies can really make an impact on an industry that is so vital to the health and sustainability of our planet,” said Dr. Bradley Doorn, Program Manager for NASA’s Applied Sciences agriculture area. “The agriculture industry is already on the forefront of technology adoption to support growing demands on production, from quantity to quality to withstanding increasing environmental and social pressures. More opportunities exist to help with a wide range of applications, particularly within aviation systems. It could be very exciting to see what students conceptualize within this theme.” 

Sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD’s) University Innovation (UI) Project, the Gateways to Blue Skies competition (aka Blue Skies) encourages diverse, multidisciplinary teams of college students to conceptualize unique systems-level ideas and analysis to an aviation-themed problem identified annually. It aims to engage as many students as possible – from all backgrounds, majors, and collegiate levels, freshman to graduate.  

In this competition, participating students in teams of two to six will select an aviation system or systems that can be applied to a specific area of agriculture. Competitors must choose technologies that can be deployable by 2035 or sooner.  

Teams will submit concepts in a five-to-seven-page proposal and accompanying two-minute video, which will be judged in a competitive review process by NASA and industry experts. Up to eight finalist teams will receive up to $8,000 each to continue their research to develop a final research paper and infographic, and to attend the 2025 Blue Skies Forum to be held in May 2025 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Forum winners who fulfill eligibility criteria will be offered the opportunity to intern with NASA Aeronautics in the academic year following the Forum.  

“Going into our fourth year, we continue to see excitement increasing both at NASA and throughout the universities for the Gateway to Blue Skies Competition,” said Steven Holz, UI Assistant Project Manager and Blue Skies Co-Chair. “Aviation solutions to this year’s challenge could have monumental impacts on the future of the agricultural industry, which is the foundation of our everyday lives.” 

Teams interested in participating in the competition should review competition guidelines and eligibility requirements posted on the Blue Skies competition website, https://blueskies.nianet.org. Teams are encouraged to submit a non-binding Notice of Intent (NOI) by October 22, 2024, via the website. Submitting an NOI ensures teams stay apprised of competition news. The proposal and video are due February 17, 2025. 

Blue Skies is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s (ARMD’s) University Innovation Project (UI) and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA).  

For full competition details, including design guidelines and constraints, relevant resources, and information on how to apply, visit the Blue Skies website at: 

NASA’s Gateways to Blue Skies Competition

For more information about NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/aeroresearch/programs   

For more information about the National Institute of Aerospace, visit: www.nianet.org  

Share

Details

Last Updated
Aug 06, 2024

Related Terms

Explore More

streamflow-gif.gif?w=300
5 min read

‘Current’ Events: NASA and USGS Find a New Way to Measure River Flows

Article 1 day ago
x-66-yr0jv9-boe-x66-image10-01a-post.jpg
4 min read

NASA Furthers Aeronautical Innovation Using Model-Based Systems

Article 1 day ago
2024-rasc-al-website-header-graphic-11-x
3 min read

Exploring Deep Space: NASA Announces 2025 RASC-AL Competition 

Article 5 days ago
Keep Exploring

Discover Related Topics

Missions

topic-card-sample-1.jpg

Humans in Space

topic-card-sample-2.jpg

Climate Change

topic-card-sample-3.jpg

Solar System

topic-card-sample-4.jpg

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NASA
      NASA Leaders to Participate in 2025 Space Symposium in Colorado
      By NASA
      Credit: NASA NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro and acting Associate Administrator Vanessa Wyche will lead the agency’s delegation at the 40th Space Symposium, Monday, April 7 through Thursday, April 10, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
      Petro will join Space Foundation Chief Executive Officer Heather Pringle for a fireside chat to discuss NASA’s current priorities and partnerships at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, April 8.
      Additional NASA participation in the conference includes a one-on-one discussion with Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, and a lunar science and exploration panel featuring Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator, Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
      A full agenda for this year’s Space Symposium is available online.
      Conference attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about NASA’s missions and projects on a variety of topics during brief talks with subject matter experts in the agency’s exhibit space.
      NASA will provide photos and updates about its participation in the Space Symposium from its @NASAExhibit account on X.
      For more information about NASA, visit:
      https://www.nasa.gov
      -end-
      Amber Jacobson
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-1600
      amber.c.jacobson@nasa.gov
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Apr 04, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      Leadership Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Science Mission Directorate View the full article
    • NASA
      NASA Selects Finalist Teams for Student Human Lander Challenge
      By NASA
      NASA has selected 12 student teams to develop solutions for storing and transferring the super-cold liquid propellants needed for future long-term exploration beyond Earth orbit.
      The agency’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of engineers and scientists as NASA and its partners prepare to send astronauts to the Moon through the Artemis campaign in preparation for future missions to Mars. The commercial human landing systems will serve as the primary mode of transportation that will safely take astronauts and, later, large cargo from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back.
      For its second year, the competition invites university students and their faculty advisors to develop innovative, “cooler” solutions for in-space cryogenic, or super cold, liquid propellant storage and transfer systems. These cryogenic fluids, like liquid hydrogen or liquid oxygen, must stay extremely cold to remain in a liquid state, and the ability to effectively store and transfer them in space will be increasingly vital for future long-duration missions. Current technology allows cryogenic liquids to be stored for a relatively short amount of time, but future missions will require these systems to function effectively over several hours, weeks, and even months.
      The 12 selected finalists have been awarded a $9,250 development stipend to further develop their concepts in preparation for the next stage of the competition.
      The 2025 Human Lander Challenge finalist teams are:
      California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, “THERMOSPRING: Thermal Exchange Reduction Mechanism using Optimized SPRING” Colorado School of Mines, “MAST: Modular Adaptive Support Technology” Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, “Electrical Capacitance to High-resolution Observation (ECHO)” Jacksonville University, “Cryogenic Complex: Cryogenic Tanks and Storage Systems – on the Moon and Cislunar Orbit” Jacksonville University, “Cryogenic Fuel Storage and Transfer: The Human Interface – Monitoring and Mitigating Risks” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “THERMOS: Translunar Heat Rejection and Mixing for Orbital Sustainability” Old Dominion University, “Structural Tensegrity for Optimized Retention in Microgravity (STORM)” Texas A&M University, “Next-generation Cryogenic Transfer and Autonomous Refueling (NeCTAR)” The College of New Jersey, “Cryogenic Orbital Siphoning System (CROSS)” The Ohio State University, “Autonomous Magnetized Cryo-Couplers with Active Alignment Control for Propellant Transfer (AMCC-AAC) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, “Efficient Cryogenic Low Invasive Propellant Supply Exchange (ECLIPSE)” Washington State University, “CRYPRESS Coupler for Liquid Hydrogen Transfer” Finalist teams will now work to submit a technical paper further detailing their concepts. They will present their work to a panel of NASA and industry judges at the 2025 Human Lander Competition Forum in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in June 2025. The top three placing teams will share a total prize purse of $18,000.
      “By engaging college students in solving critical challenges in cryogenic fluid technologies and systems-level solutions, NASA fosters a collaborative environment where academic research meets practical application,” said Tiffany Russell Lockett, office manager for the Human Landing System Mission Systems Management Office at NASA Marshall. “This partnership not only accelerates cryogenics technology development but also prepares the Artemis Generation – the next generation of engineers and scientists – to drive future breakthroughs in spaceflight.”
      NASA’s Human Lander Challenge is sponsored by the agency’s Human Landing System Program within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace.
      For more information on NASA’s 2025 Human Lander Challenge, including team progress, visit the challenge website.
      News Media Contact
      Corinne Beckinger 
      Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 
      256.544.0034  
      corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov 
      View the full article
    • European Space Agency
      Week in images: 31 March - 04 April 2025
      By European Space Agency
      Week in images: 31 March - 04 April 2025
      Discover our week through the lens
      View the full article
    • Space Force
      Sharpening the Focus: Buckley Implements Standards and Readiness Reviews
      By Space Force
      With recent changes like those made to Air Force Instruction 36-2903's regulations on hair, gig lines and nail polish, the force is renewing its commitment to a culture of adherence to standards.

      View the full article
    • Space Force
      Sharpening the focus: Buckley implements standards, readiness reviews
      By Space Force
      With recent changes like those made to Air Force Instruction 36-2903's regulations on hair, gig lines and nail polish, the force is renewing its commitment to a culture of adherence to standards.

      View the full article

  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...