WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Earth Science Technology Office is seeking submissions for the agency's Space to Soil Challenge, an initiative focused on advancing adaptive sensing and onboard processing technologies for small satellite (SmallSat) missions supporting land resilience applications.
The challenge calls for SmallSat mission concepts that integrate onboard intelligence to enable real-time interpretation of Earth observation data. NASA is emphasizing approaches that move beyond traditional data collection toward responsive sensing architectures capable of adapting to environmental conditions for applications such as regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, and land management.
Participants are required to design solutions within the constraints typical of SmallSat platforms, including limited power, compute, and bandwidth resources. Submissions may include hardware, software, or hybrid approaches, with a focus on orchestrating existing land observation algorithms into efficient onboard processing frameworks.
Related: Keeping a watchful eye on Earth observation and weather forecasting
Phasing in
In Phase One, participants must submit a five-page white paper, a two- to three-minute video, and supporting software code or hardware schematics. NASA will evaluate entries based on defined criteria, with up to 10 finalists selected approximately three weeks after the submission deadline to present at a live pitch event scheduled for June 2026.
During Phase Two, finalists will present their concepts to a panel of judges. Up to three winners will each receive $100,000 and an invitation to participate in a follow-on incubator program. Up to two runners-up will receive $25,000 each.
Phase Three consists of a 10- to 12-week incubator program designed to support further development of winning concepts, along with follow-up assessments conducted 12 months after the pitch event to evaluate research progress and potential implementation.
The submission deadline is 28 March 2026 at 6 p.m. Eastern. The agency listed Laura Rogers as the primary point of contact for this project. They can be reached via email at [email protected]. More information is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/24c0e5a8936c4087aa72abe81f629bfd/view.
Judges needed
NASA is also seeking volunteer judges with expertise in small satellites, onboard processing, venture investment, or startup development. Candidates should have experience in areas such as SBIR or STTR commercialization, entrepreneurship, or early-stage venture building. Selected judges will commit approximately 10 to 15 hours in June 2026 and participate in a training session in May 2026.
Send an email to [email protected] with a subject line to read "NASA Space to SoilChallenge Judge Nomination" if you are interested in participating in the judging process.
