NASA TechLeap Prize: Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge

NASA TechLeap Prize: Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge

Funds developers of payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit with cash prizes and a hosted orbital flight test.

The Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge (RMPC) is the fifth challenge in the NASA TechLeap Prize series, run by NASA's Flight Opportunities program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). It is structured as a prize competition, not a grant or cooperative agreement. Congress authorized NASA to use prize authority under the America COMPETES Act to run these challenges.

Up to three winners each receive up to $500,000 in cash prizes, for a maximum total prize pool of $1,500,000. In addition, NASA provides each winner a hosted orbital flight test at no additional cost, allowing their payload to interact with a robotic arm already in low Earth orbit. The payloads will fly aboard a spacecraft that rendezvous with the Fly Foundational Robots (FFR) platform, which is expected to launch in late 2027; TechLeap payloads are slated to launch in early 2028.

The challenge is open to qualified commercial businesses, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, and other innovators — no US-only restriction is stated in the program description. For-profit companies can apply directly. There is no stated revenue cap, team-size limit, or company-age requirement. Applicants must propose a payload capable of being manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit and develop it to flight-ready status if selected.

The application is submitted at rmpc.awardsplatform.com. Phase 1 registration closes July 29, 2026; Phase 1 submissions close August 12, 2026. Phase 1 winners are announced in September 2026. The challenge then continues with Phase 2 (December 2026) and Phase 3 (May 2027) milestones before the flight campaign in 2028.

Applicants should note this is a prize competition, not a research grant — deliverables are flight-ready hardware, not a research report. The flight test opportunity is contingent on winning and completing all phases. No cost-share requirement is stated.