Submissions

Interested teams are encouraged to thoroughly review the “Challenge Guidelines” for full challenge guidelines, design constraints, evaluation criteria, and submission package requirements (including formatting).  

Challenge Guidelines
pdf

Technical Paper and Digital Poster Package
December 3, 2023

Submit
All deadlines must be met by 11:59 p.m. EST on the date specified below, unless otherwise indicated.

DATE
DEADLINE
April 29, 2022, 2-3:30 p.m. ESTQ&A Session #1 for interested teams
Sept. 15, 2022Notice of Intent (NOI) Deadline with initial concept details
Sept. 21, 2022Deadline for teams to submit questions in advance of Q&A #2
Sept. 27, 2022, 2-3:30 p.m. ESTQ&A Session #2 for interested teams
Oct. 20, 2022Preliminary Design Review (PDR) Submission Deadline
Nov. 7, 2022Teams receive PDR Feedback
Jan. 8, 2023Conceptual Design Review (CDR) Submission Deadline
Jan. 30, 2023Selection Announcements are made; Teams receive CDR feedback;
construction begins for four (4) finalists
Feb. 9, 2023Stipends are sent to Finalist Teams
May 18, 2023Software Design Review (SDR) Submission Deadline
July 2, 2023Mission Readiness Review (MRR) Submission Deadline
Aug. 15, 2023Integration and Testing at Ft. Sumner, NM
Oct. 16, 2023Flight complete, data returned to students
Dec. 3, 2023Finalist Teams’ Technical Paper and Digital Technical Poster Deadline
Jan. 8, 2024Kickoff meeting with ETD for official NASA development

FLOATing DRAGON is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace on behalf of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility’s Balloon Program Office.