Media Releases

News releases for members of the media.

Woman wearing a hat and coveralls stands in a sea grass meadow with a tall scientific instrument.

Jun 12, 2026

NC Space Grant and NC Sea Grant Award 2026 Joint Fellowships

North Carolina Sea Grant and NC Space Grant have awarded 2026 Sea to Stars Research Fellowships to Robin Newton and Madeline Payne. Newton will investigate how new data from a recent NASA mission can inform wetland protections, and Payne will be working with aerial images to assess overlooked losses of sea grass.

Headshots of all 12 Summer 2026 interns.

Jun 8, 2026

NC Space Grant Supports Summer 2026 Interns at NASA and Beyond

From lunar mission research to next-generation aviation systems, 12 students from across North Carolina will spend summer 2026 tackling aerospace and scientific challenges through internships supported by North Carolina Space Grant.

A woman smiles as she sticks a cord into an empty beaker in a lab.

Jun 3, 2026

NC Space Grant Announces New Graduate Research Fellows for the 2026-2027 Year

North Carolina Space Grant is proud to announce 16 graduate research fellows for 2026-2027. These students, representing six different universities, will conduct science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research to benefit NASA Mission Directorates. Students’ projects will investigate STEM topics such as exoplanet discovery with machine learning, plant and microbial adaptation to spaceflight, and next-generation spacesuit technologies.

Twelve headshots of college students, a mix of men and women.

Jun 3, 2026

NC Space Grant Congratulates 2026-27 Undergraduate Research Scholars

North Carolina Space Grant is proud to announce its 2026-27 undergraduate research scholars, who will conduct exciting research that prepares them for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These competitive scholarships help students gain hands-on research experience aligned with NASA Mission Directorates, including human spaceflight, research and technology, and science.

A team about to launch their high altitude balloon

May 29, 2026

North Carolina Community Colleges Fly High in the Annual High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge

In early March, teams from across the state assembled at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, NC to compete in the 2024 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). Awards were given in various categories, such as Highest Altitude and Best Photo, with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s team taking home the Best Overall Team award.

Three students working on a small airplane

Dec 4, 2025

NC Space Grant Selects 2025-2026 Team Experience and Competition Award Winners

North Carolina Space Grant celebrates this year’s Team Experience and Competition Grant recipients. These teams will represent the state in prestigious national competitions supported by NASA and other STEM organizations.…

Students conducting various research projects

Jan 13, 2025

Accepting Applications: 2025-26 NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship and Undergraduate Research Scholarship

North Carolina Space Grant has opened its signature funding opportunities, the Graduate Research Fellowship and the Undergraduate Research Scholarship, for applications for the 2024-25 academic year.

Dec 2, 2024

NC Space Grant Selects Recipients of 2024-2025 Team Experience and Competition Award

North Carolina Space Grant proudly recognizes this year's Team Experience and Competition Grant awardees. These teams will take part in prestigious national competitions backed by NASA and other STEM organizations.

Nov 27, 2024

NC Space Grant Announces 2024-2025 MSI STEM Bridge and Pathways Scholars

North Carolina Space Grant presents its new cohort of Minority Serving Institution (MSI) STEM Bridge Scholars and MSI STEM Pathways Scholars.

Oct 8, 2024

NC Space Grant Congratulates 2023-2024 Student Teams in NASA Competitions

North Carolina Space Grant (NC Space Grant) congratulates nine student teams that competed in the 2023-2024 NASA and related science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions. These teams tackled STEM challenges, including launching and sustaining rockets thousands of feet in the air and efficiently mining through simulated lunar matter.