Aero-Structure Wing Design Challenge NASA’s 2025 is Live
Aero-Structure Wing Design
Nasa’s is Calling ambitious undergraduates and senior designers to dive headfirst into cutting-edge aerospace research with the 2025 NASA Capstone : The optimization project for the design of aero-structural wings. This is a call to action for anyone who has ever envisioned themselves designing the next advancement in aviation.
This exciting capstone opportunity centers on cutting-edge aerodynamic research: optimizing wing design using the 1933 Prandtl bell span load theory, which is known to eliminate adverse yaw and reduce induced drag—two properties that are crucial for advanced air mobility (AAM) systems, futuristic aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
What’s the Deal Here?
This project is not like any other student project, and you will work together to conduct mission-critical research that investigates:
- For streamlined, stable aircraft without heavy vertical stabilizers, use a reverse yaw.
- Bell spanload wings and elliptical lift wings: structural trade-offs.
- designs with sophisticated spanload tools for particular missions.
- Concepts for AAM-ready aircraft that take weight, volume, and storage into account.
- Realistic engineering insights can be obtained through high-fidelity modeling.
Your university’s faculty will assist you, and NASA—yes, that NASA—will formally coordinate everything.
Who Is Eligible?
- You must be enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution in the United States that is a NASA Space Grant Affiliate.
- You must have a confirmation email or letter from the space grant director in your state.
Pro tip: Don’t let technical issues derail your proposal by creating your NASA STEM Gateway account too soon.
What Should Be in Your Proposal?
- Determine the precise design subjects and degree of student involvement.
- Provide a timeline of significant events and NASA interactions that is realistic.
- Emphasize your work products, such as presentations, models, and simulations.
- Provide innovative ideas, a varied technical approach, and mentorship programs.
- Explain how your group plans to engage students from underrepresented groups in STEM.
How Are You Going to Be Judged?
NASA reviewers will score proposals based on
- The viability and inventiveness of your project strategy
- Interdisciplinarity in student involvement
- Utilizing special equipment or resources
- Strategies for diversity and inclusion
- Deliverables, milestones, and your strategy for tracking student progress.
Who will fly into NASA’s next frontier will be decided by color-coded ratings.
Why Is This Important Not to Miss?
Your launching pad into aerospace innovation, this is more than just a research project. The chosen teams will:
- Work on actual challenges led by NASA
- Create a portfolio that attracts attention from SpaceX, Lockheed, or Boeing.
- Participate in designs that could impact flight systems of the future.
- Obtain mentorship and recognition on a national level.
The Last Call!
You have until June 27, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, to submit your proposal for NASA’s Aero-Structural Wing Design Optimization Capstone.
