Announcing the Aurelia Institute Prize in Design for Space Urbanism
How can we design future space stations, lunar settlements, and orbital industries to make space work for humanity?
This year marks a momentous milestone: the 50th anniversary of the 1975 NASA Summer Study, where NASA and academic experts came together to imagine urban-scale human settlements in the near neighborhood of Earth. That ten-week effort produced technical papers, renderings, and bold, deeply considered concepts for space stations that relied on artificial gravity and other innovations to create a habitable environment at scale.
To honor that vision — and to inspire the next generation of space architects — we're thrilled to announce the Aurelia Prize in Design for Space Urbanism.
“As we approach the post-ISS era and start to plan in earnest for near and far futures where hundreds and even thousands of people visit, work, or live off-planet, it’s time to start designing for the practical realities of a spacefaring society,” says Aurelia CEO Ariel Ekblaw. “Aurelia Institute is excited to invite submissions from anyone with a thoughtful vision for what that future will look like.”
What we're looking for
The inaugural Aurelia Prize invites designers, engineers, and architects to submit a design for a functioning space station, lunar habitat, or industrial facility. We want to see your vision for the start of a viable space urbanism — designs that consider utility, comfort, and efficiency in the space environment.
Submissions fall into three categories:
A space station in LEO or at a Lagrange point that is physics-credible
A space habitat around the Moon or on the lunar surface
An automated industrial facility (mining, biotech, energy, etc.) in LEO, on or around the Moon, or at a Lagrange point
The prize
The winning submission will receive a cash award of up to $20,000 USD and an invitation to present at the 2026 Beyond the Cradle conference at MIT on April 8. The winner(s) may also be invited to join an upcoming zero gravity research flight with the Aurelia team.
Competition and Prize Details
Meet the judges
We're honored to have an extraordinary panel reviewing submissions:
Ariel Ekblaw – CEO, Aurelia Institute
Olga Bannova – Director of the Space Architecture Graduate Program, University of Houston
Victor Glover – NASA Astronaut
Thomas Heatherwick – Founder, Heatherwick Studio
Bjarke Ingels – Founder, BIG
Andrew Zuckerman – Visual artist
How to submit
How to submit
Submissions are open to individuals globally (18+) and teams of up to three. Submission requirements and judging criteria can be found on the Aurelia Prize page.
The submission deadline is 5pm ET on Friday, January 30, 2026. Semi-finalists will be notified in mid February and asked to submit a brief video follow-up.
Looking ahead
Fifty years ago, a group of dreamers and engineers sketched a future for humanity among the stars. Now it's your turn. Whether you envision orbiting biomanufacturing hubs, lunar research outposts, or entirely new ways of living in space, we want to see it.
Have questions? Reach out to us at hello@aureliainstitute.org. Spread the word by reposting our announcements on social media, and forward this email to fellow creative minds. We can't wait to see what you imagine.