Robotically Manipulated Payload ChallengeToday, NASA Flight Opportunities launched the Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge — the fifth in the NASA TechLeap Prize series — to advance persistent infrastructure for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). The challenge invites applicants to propose payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. Following the late 2027 launch of NASA’s Fly Foundational Robots (FFR) spacecraft, a delivery vehicle carrying the selected payloads will rendezvous with FFR in orbit. The robotic arm will transfer each payload from the delivery vehicle, install it onto the FFR platform, and then interact with, manipulate, or reconfigure it.
By developing and testing systems to service, assemble, and manufacture in space, ISAM is expanding what is possible. This challenge serves as a building block for capabilities such as swapping out a failed component on an orbiting satellite, assembling a structure too large for any single rocket, or fabricating new parts in orbit from raw materials.
Enabling in-space infrastructure that can be built, maintained, and upgraded over time will help facilitate a space economy that is more resilient and sustainable. Realizing this vision requires persistent, modular, and reconfigurable systems that can be adapted and serviced in space. To get there, it is crucial to develop and prove those systems through missions that test real hardware in orbit.
Phase 1 of the Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge is open to all eligible applicants. Over a 12-week period, applicants are invited to complete submissions proposing payloads that can be manipulated by a robotic arm in low Earth orbit. Up to three Phase 1 winners will receive $200,000 each and an invitation to Phase 2, during which teams will finalize their payload designs with technical support from NASA.
Up to three Phase 2 winners will have the opportunity to win a second award of $200,000 each and advance to Phase 3 to build their flight-ready payloads. At the end of Phase 3, up to three winners can win an additional $100,000 each. NASA intends to offer an opportunity for a flight test aboard a hosted orbital vehicle at no additional cost to the Phase 3 winner(s).
Applicants planning to enter the Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge must register by July 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Phase 1 submissions are due by August 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The challenge team will host a virtual information session about the challenge at 1:00 p.m. ET on June 18 — sign up today. To read more about the challenge, including the submission requirements and technical guidelines, visit the challenge website. You can also subscribe to the Flight Opportunities newsletter to receive the latest challenge updates.