Agriculture is crucial for supplying food, fuel, and fiber to the global population, yet it faces significant challenges such as resource limitations and the need to minimize environmental impact while enhancing climate resilience. The increasing global population drives higher food demands, putting stress on resources like arable land, water, and energy. Climate change adds to these difficulties by causing erratic weather, extreme temperatures, and natural disasters that affect crop yields and livestock. NASA Aeronautics is committed to collaborating with commercial, industrial, and governmental partners to advance aviation systems that could revolutionize agricultural capabilities.
"This is an area where innovative aviation technologies can really make an impact on an industry that is so vital to the health and sustainability of our planet," said Dr. Bradley Doorn, Program Manager for NASA's Applied Sciences agriculture area. "The agriculture industry is already on the forefront of technology adoption to support growing demands on production, from quantity to quality to withstanding increasing environmental and social pressures. More opportunities exist to help with a wide range of applications, particularly within aviation systems. It could be very exciting to see what students conceptualize within this theme."
The Gateways to Blue Skies competition, sponsored by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's (ARMD's) University Innovation (UI) Project, challenges diverse, multidisciplinary college student teams to devise unique, systems-level ideas and analyses addressing an annual aviation-themed problem. The competition aims to engage students from varied backgrounds, majors, and collegiate levels.
For the 2025 competition, student teams of two to six members will choose an aviation system or systems applicable to a specific agricultural area, focusing on technologies deployable by 2035 or earlier.
Teams will submit their concepts in a five-to-seven-page proposal and a two-minute video, which will be evaluated by NASA and industry experts. Up to eight finalist teams will receive up to $8,000 each to further their research, culminating in a final research paper and infographic. Finalists will also attend the 2025 Blue Skies Forum at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in May 2025. Forum winners meeting eligibility criteria will have the chance to intern with NASA Aeronautics in the following academic year.
"Going into our fourth year, we continue to see excitement increasing both at NASA and throughout the universities for the Gateway to Blue Skies Competition," said Steven Holz, UI Assistant Project Manager and Blue Skies Co-Chair. "Aviation solutions to this year's challenge could have monumental impacts on the future of the agricultural industry, which is the foundation of our everyday lives."
Interested teams should review the competition guidelines and eligibility requirements on the Blue Skies competition website, https://blueskies.nianet.org. Teams are encouraged to submit a non-binding Notice of Intent (NOI) by October 22, 2024, via the website to stay informed about competition updates. The proposal and video are due February 17, 2025.
Blue Skies is sponsored by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's (ARMD's) University Innovation Project (UI) and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA).
Related Links
NASA's Gateways to Blue Skies Competition
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
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