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National Space Society

National Space Society

NSS Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest

ClosedEngineeringScienceCompetition

About the Program

The NSS Gerard K. O'Neill Space Settlement Contest, organized by the National Space Society, invites students through grade 12 from around the world to design concepts for permanent human communities in free space — orbital habitats that are not located on any planet or moon. Entries may take the form of detailed designs, original research, essays, stories, models, artwork, or any combination of space settlement-related materials.

Students through grade 12 may compete individually or in groups of up to 12, with a category for grade 7 and younger. Entries are judged by grade level, using the oldest member’s grade for a team. Special awards recognize top entries for Artistic Merit and Literary Merit, each carrying a $500 scholarship. The grand prize goes to the best entry overall regardless of age, and the Herman Rubin Memorial Scholarship of $5,000 is awarded to the highest-ranking entrant whose students attend and present at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC). A $15 entry fee applies, with waivers available for financial hardship.

The general contest description says submissions open in December each year and are due February 15 at 02:00am PST. These are yearless recurring instructions; a year-specific 2027 contest calendar and exact opening day have not yet been verified. The linked AwardForce portal requires JavaScript and did not expose a readable current-cycle cutoff.

ISDC attendance is optional and separate from contest entry. The current ISDC 2027 student page asks oral and poster submissions to arrive before April 14, 2027 and requires both student and conference registration for attendees. The contest news page still says a 2027 student page is unavailable, so that notice lags the linked ISDC guidance. Neither the conference dates nor its presentation cutoff is a universal contest submission deadline.

Sources checked November 4, 2026: contest description, rules, news, entry portal and ISDC 2027 student guidance. The official contest description supports the USD 15 hardship-waivable fee and existing prize amounts.

Eligibility

Open worldwide to students through grade 12, including grade 7 and younger. Individual entries, small groups of two to five, and large groups of six to twelve are judged separately, using the oldest member’s grade. A USD 15 entry fee may be waived for hardship. Entries must concern permanent free-space settlements rather than homes on a planet or moon. Students through grade 12 (7th grade and younger through 12th grade).

Eligible Countries

All countries

How to Apply

Submit orbital settlement work through the linked AwardForce portal. The general contest description says submissions begin in December each year and are due February 15 at 02:00am PST; it does not label those dates with a specific 2027 cycle. An exact 2027 opening day and year-specific contest cutoff have not yet been confirmed. Optional presentation at ISDC requires separate student and conference registration; the current ISDC 2027 page requests oral/poster submissions before April 14, 2027.