NASA Calls On Students to Fix Aviation Maintenance

Space agency’s 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies competition focuses on maintenance solutions for passenger and cargo operations.

Jack Daleo

Friday, September 19, 2025 at 03:30 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

NASA calls on students to devise cutting-edge aviation maintenance solutions that could improve efficiency, safety, and cost. [Courtesy: United Airlines]

Key Takeaways:

NASA launched its 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies competition, themed "RepAir: Advancing Aviation Maintenance," for U.S. college students.
Teams are invited to propose innovative solutions using technologies like automation, AI, and robotics to enhance the efficiency, safety, or cost-effectiveness of commercial aviation maintenance.
Winning students will be offered internships at NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and compete for a share of $72,000 in prize money.

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U.S. college students have the opportunity to score NASA internships by sharing ideas for aviation maintenance technologies.

The space agency on Friday announced the theme for its 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies competition—“RepAir: Advancing Aviation Maintenance” for commercial passenger and cargo operations. Teams of collegiate students are invited to submit proposals that incorporate automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies. Their objective is to devise a solution that could improve maintenance efficiency, safety, or costs and be implemented within the next decade.