The National Space Society (NSS) is calling for submissions to the 2026 NSS Gerard K. O’Neill Space Settlement Contest.
Submissions must relate to free space settlements. Settlements may not be on a planet or moon, although support activities such as mining may be. Settlements must be permanent homes, not temporary work camps. Typically, what distinguishes an outpost from a settlement is generational habitation. Submissions may focus on one or a few aspects of space settlement and supporting systems, including mines, activities leading up to settlement (such as space hotels), economic and social issues, etc.
The best submission, regardless of category, wins the grand prize. The submission will be hosted on the contest web site. Finally, the highest ranking entry whose student(s) attend(s) ISDC will receive the Herman Rubin Memorial Scholarship of $5,000 and give a talk at the conference.
The use of AI generated text and images must be explicitly identified and cited.
Last year, over 26,000 students participated in more than 4,900 entries. Entries came from 25 countries around the world.
This contest had been sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center from 1994-2018, for many of those years in conjunction with the National Space Society (NSS). In 2019, sponsorship was fully transferred to the National Space Society.
National Space Society Settlement Contest 2026 – Entry Fee
There is an entry fee of $15 which can be waived in hardship cases.