NASA SPARX (Sparking Participation And Real-world Experiences in STEM) Challenges and Competitions is a pilot initiative from NASA’s Next-Gen STEM project that aims to broaden student participation in agency STEM opportunities with a focus on underserved and underrepresented communities.
Aeronaut-X
The Aeronaut-X strand will include challenges and competitions related to the science of flight and may utilize educational modules on NASA’s X-Plane, the science of sound and the sonic boom, urban air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems.
Earth
The Earth strand will include challenges and competitions connecting students to their home planet Earth, with a focus on STEM concepts for everything in and below low-Earth orbit including the International Space Station.
Moon
The Moon strand will include challenges and competitions related to NASA’s Artemis mission to return to the Moon as well as challenges regarding the agency’s integrated space transportation systems and platforms including the Orion capsule, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and the Gateway orbiting lunar outpost.
Solar System and Beyond
The Solar System and Beyond strand will include challenges and competitions related to our journey to Mars and beyond and may include educational modules focused on the Perseverance rover, Ingenuity robotic helicopter and the James Webb Space Telescope.
