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Take your own giant leap into space exploration!

Join a global science experiment and research challenge to examine how vegetable crops can grow in lunar or Martian soil. 

NASA is heading back to the Moon and will explore more of the lunar surface than ever before! This Challenge asks elementary and middle school students to test what nutrients, fertilizers, or other modifications to the regolith are needed to grow nutrient rich, sustainable food sources for future astronauts.

Registration is open every Spring.

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Use the scientific method to design your own lunar crop experiment

The Plant the Moon Challenge Jr. is for anyone daring enough to explore and stretch the limits of human possibility. We’re piggybacking off of NASA’s new lunar exploration program, Artemis, and giving you the chance to help get astronauts back to the moon. Participants in the Challenge will use the Project Guide to  choose their crop and help define their own experimental parameters to support plant growth. After an 8-week growing period, teams will submit final project reports and join the global network of researchers helping to expand our space exploration capabilities! Register today to get started.

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A Cohesive Annual Space Exploration Education Program

With the rapid expansion of the Plant the Moon Challenge over the last 6 years, we’ve seen great interest in developing other regolith-based educational challenges that connect students with NASA’s Artemis program and exploring how local materials on the Moon and Mars can enhance our exploration capabilities. We want to provide a strong, cohesive program throughout the school year that engages students across the Fall and Spring semesters.

To achieve this, during the 2026-27 school year, we are focusing our engagement activities on the Build the Moon Challenge during the Fall and the Plant the Moon Challenge during the Spring. We hope you will consider joining us for both opportunities this year. Please check out the Build the Moon Challenge website for opportunities to engage this Fall, and stay tuned for the opening of the Spring 2027 Plant the Moon Challenge!

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