NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated on March 31, 2026, to update the finalists list. NASA has selected eight student teams as finalists in the 2026 Gateways to Blue Skies Competition, giving them the resources to help address a critical challenge for U.S. aviation: aircraft maintenance. Challenges facing the commercial aviation industry include a shortage of qualified maintenance workers and increasing demands to keep complicated aircraft running