Gateways to Blue Skies Competition

NASA's Gateways to Blue Skies Competition is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It is sponsored by NASA's University Innovation Project within NASA Aeronautics. The University Innovation Project supports development of the next generation of aeronautical innovators by providing postsecondary-led teams with opportunities to research transformative technologies that support NASA Aeronautics research goals. Gateways to Blue Skies expands engagement among postsecondary institutions, NASA Aeronautics, industry, and government partners through multidisciplinary student teams addressing aviation challenges under a new competition theme each year. The Gateways to Blue Skies - InfraAir | Aviation for Infrastructure Inspection competition asks collegiate-level student teams to conceptualize innovative airborne platforms for inspecting land-based hard infrastructure that can be implemented by 2035 or sooner. Concepts are intended to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, and cost of infrastructure inspection. Eligible areas include transportation infrastructure such as roads, highways, bridges, terrestrial tunnels, railways, and public transit systems; utilities and public works such as power grids, substations, land-based water treatment plants, inland dams and reservoirs, and telecommunications towers; and economic and industrial assets such as warehouses, freight terminals, logistics hubs, and commercial or industrial buildings. Marine, offshore, deep-water, and other specified marine infrastructure is excluded. Teams should develop aviation-first solutions centered on a specific infrastructure inspection area and describe end-user applications, system operations and methods, user relevance, and adoptability. Teams must assess the current situation, identify a use case and proposed solution, analyze technical development and implementation, and chart a path to deployment. Concepts should consider matters such as technology readiness levels, connectivity and processing constraints, adverse or confined environments, interoperability with existing people and systems, expected improvements, training, stakeholder integration, cost and return on investment, economic impact, policy and regulatory barriers, and risks. Phase 1 requires a 5-7-page proposal, a 2-minute video, and a graphic depicting the concept. The proposal package also includes required supporting information and a signed Phase 1 Faculty Advisor Attestation Form. Generative AI may not be used to create any portion of team submissions. Eligible teams must consist of 2-6 students from accredited U.S.-based postsecondary institutions, including technical colleges, community colleges, colleges, and universities. Teams may include full-time or part-time students at any postsecondary academic level and may take the form of senior capstone teams, clubs, multi-university teams, or multidisciplinary teams. Each team must have one faculty advisor affiliated with the lead U.S.-based academic institution. At least two participating student members must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and must be prepared to present at the Gateways to Blue Skies Forum if selected as finalists. Every student member must be at least 18 years old by proposal submission. Additional eligibility requirements are contained in the Participation Agreement. At least two U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident students from each finalist team must attend and present at the Forum. A non-binding Notice of Intent is strongly encouraged by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on October 12, 2026. Teams submitting it by the deadline receive invitations to the pre-proposal Q&A sessions and competition updates, and concepts outside competition parameters may be identified to teams. The Notice of Intent does not obligate a team to submit a proposal and may differ from the eventual proposal. The Phase 1 proposal and video deadline is February 22, 2027 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Submissions are made through the Competition Details webpage and require institutional, advisor, team member, citizenship, project, infrastructure inspection area, synopsis, financial contact, institutional financial documentation, proposal PDF, YouTube video URL, signed Faculty Advisor Attestation Form, and acceptance of the Participation Agreement. Late submissions and revisions after submission are not accepted. NASA and industry experts evaluate the Phase 1 proposal and video for a maximum of 100 points. The proposal accounts for 80 points, including Situation Assessment for 20 points, Concept of Operations Overview for 20 points, Implementation Analysis for 15 points, Innovation for 15 points, Proposal Compliance for 5 points, and Composition, Grammar, and Cohesion for 5 points. The video accounts for 20 points based on Explanation of Proposed Concept, Value Proposition, and Overall Impression. Up to eight eligible finalist teams may each receive a 9000 dollar prize issued to their university and advance to Phase 2. The faculty advisor has discretion over allocation of the finalist funds. Finalists are notified on March 22, 2027 and must further develop their concepts for the second phase. Forum registration and payment are due April 23, 2027, the final paper and infographic are due May 10, 2027, and presentation files are due at noon Eastern Time on May 20, 2027. The Gateways to Blue Skies Forum is scheduled for May 24-26, 2027. Finalists submit an 8-10-page final paper, an infographic with a 48 by 36 inch printed version for the Forum, and a 25-minute presentation followed by 20 minutes of questions and answers. The overall winning team may receive up to six NASA Aeronautics OSTEM internship opportunities, subject to separate internship eligibility requirements. Spring 2028 internships are anticipated from mid-January to early March, while Summer 2028 internships are anticipated from late May or early June through August for 10 weeks. Competition inquiries may be directed to the Gateways to Blue Skies Program Team at BlueSkies@nianet.org or the National Institute of Aerospace, Gateways to Blue Skies Program Office, 1100 Exploration Way, Hampton, VA 23666.

Focus the bulk of the proposal on technical development, implementation, and the pathway to deployment. Clearly justify assumptions and demonstrate how the aviation-first concept can be implemented by 2035 or sooner. Establish a strong research basis, address interoperability, technology readiness, constraints, costs and ROI, training, regulations, risks, and operational integration. Use effective legible visuals where appropriate and take a multidisciplinary approach. Treat the proposal as a credible sales pitch supported by sound analysis. Use TBD placeholders only when justified and explain how missing analysis will be completed. Proof all materials carefully because report quality is scored, revisions are not accepted after submission, and late submissions are not accepted.