Boosting NASA higher, faster, and further
Propelling NASA closer to the Moon and Mars with Open Innovation
NASA invited the national and global community to participate in its Moon to Mars planning through open innovation initiatives. These initiatives tapped into the ingenuity and passion of individuals of all ages and walks of life, resulting in ideas for lunar power and energy, life on the Moon, and managing payloads, deliveries, and storage.
Read Article![Two astronauts on the surface of Mars at a basecamp. Two habitats and some equipment is seen strewn about the camp.](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/marsxr2.png?w=1024)
Collaborating with Public Innovators to Accelerate Space Exploration
Beginning with the successful launch and landing of Artemis I in 2022, NASA is heralding a future of long-term scientific exploration and discovery in deep space. NASA called on individuals and teams from the public to develop new and innovative ideas to support space travel in areas including sustainability and waste management, astronaut health and wellness, and long-term exploration.
Read Article![NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, right are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft onboard the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after having landed in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, Sunday, May 2, 2021.](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/nhq202105020001.jpg?w=1024)
Inspiring the Next Generation with Student Challenges and Learning Opportunities
Creativity and curiosity are strongly tied to NASA’s mission and vision. Participants of all ages and levels, from kindergarten to college, used their imaginations and enthusiasm to solve open innovation challenges related to STEM education.
Read Article![Lucia Grisanti and Shriya Sawant, NASA's two national winners for the 2022 Lunabotics Junior contest](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/large_winner_collage.png?w=1024)
Advancing Technology for Aeronautics
Open innovation activities illuminated what is on the horizon for air travel and aviation. Several research and development challenges yielded innovative ideas, including future forecasts to inform strategies for the next era of aviation, algorithms to predict runway traffic changes at U.S. airports, and more.
Read Article![](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/acd19-0157-015.jpg?w=1024)
Reaching New Frontiers in Science Supported by Public Participation
NASA collaborates with the public to make scientific discoveries that help humanity better understand our planet and the space beyond. Efforts supported by public participation spanned pursuits in astrophysics, Earth science, heliophysics, and more.
Read Article![A coral reef in American Samoa, one of the locations where researchers from the Laboratory for Advanced Sensing went on deployment to collect data using fluid-lensing instruments.](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/16-9_reactive_reefs_32a.jpg?w=1024)
Going Beyond the Challenge for New and Continued Success
For many solvers, success doesn’t stop when the NASA challenge ends. Past participants have gone on to work with NASA in other ways and take their technology to new heights in the commercial sector.
Read Article![Two men stand in a room with industrial-style equipment behind them. On the metal table in front of them are four clear bottles of varying sizes with clear liquid inside the bottles. The men are wearing all black clothing and white tennis shoes.](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/air-company-founders-1.jpg?w=1024)
![A black plastic tray full of green alfalfa sprouts is in full focus, taking up much of the photo. In the background, slightly out of focus, a white man is wearing a navy t-shirt and light blue gloves as he works on preparing some sprouts to be eaten as samples. The background includes a large white bowl full of greens, small sample cups, and a bottle of oil. Behind the man is an incubation station where his team’s food system is displayed.](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/deep-space-food-challenge-2.jpg?w=1536)
Prizes & challenges
by the numbers
Metrics from October 2020 to September 2022
Public prize competitions and challenges
Awarded in prizes
![](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/jsc2022e057880/jsc2022e057880~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1098&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint)
Citizen science
by the numbers
Metrics from October 2020 to September 2022
Active citizen science projects
Citizen scientists named as coauthors
Stay Connected
NASA's Open Innovation newsletter called the Solver Connection keeps you up to date quarterly with open opportunities, news, events, and more.
Sign Up For Our Newsletter![Astronaut Jessica Watkins works on the Surface Avatar laptop computer](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/iss067e369288.jpg?w=1024)
Past Publications
2022 Open Innovation Publication
Whether problem-solving during the pandemic, establishing a long-term presence at the Moon, or advancing technology to adapt to life in space, NASA has leveraged open innovation tools to inspire solutions to some of our most timely challenges – while using the creativity of everyone from garage tinkerers to citizen scientists and students of all ages. Read about our activities conducted in fiscal years 2019-2020.
Read More (PDF) about 2022 Open Innovation Publication![Cover of Open Innovation Publication](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/open-innovation-pub-cover.png?w=1536)