The short version
- El Vocero reports the NOVA UPRM team won $50,000 total: $15,000 for reaching the finals, $30,000 for first place in the Space Track and $5,000 for the People's Choice Award
- NotiCel states the competition in Houston drew over 100 teams with about 20 reaching the final phase where PRINCE was recognized
- Team members told both outlets that NASA specialists contacted them after the win to explore collaboration and testing in lunar-analog environments
- RUM interim rector Miguel Muñoz and UPR president Zayira Jordán Conde praised the multidisciplinary effort as evidence of student innovation
Victory at NASA ORBIT
A student team from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (RUM) won first place and the People's Choice Award in the first edition of the NASA ORBIT competition held at the NASA Space Center Houston in Texas. El Vocero reported the group, known as NOVA UPRM and attached to the College of Engineering, received a total of $50,000 for its PRINCE proposal focused on technology to build infrastructure towers on the lunar surface. NotiCel confirmed the same prize breakdown and noted that more than 100 teams entered, with around 20 advancing to the final stage.
The funding was distributed as $15,000 for reaching the finalist stage, $30,000 for winning the Space Track and $5,000 for the public-voted People's Choice Award. Both outlets reported that NASA specialists reached out to the students afterward to discuss possible collaborations and testing of the technology in environments similar to the Moon.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Fue un sueño hecho realidad. Llevábamos años trabajando para demostrar que nuestras ideas podían trascender las competencias y convertirse en algo más grande.
Our translation: It was a dream come true. We had been working for years to show that our ideas could go beyond competitions and become something bigger.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Project Details and Development
Ian Santiago Carrasquillo, a mechanical engineering student and NOVA UPRM program manager, told El Vocero and NotiCel that the win felt like "a dream come true" after years of work. He said the team is now preparing a formal proposal to define project development with NASA and how to test the system in lunar-analog settings. Christopher Rodríguez, also a mechanical engineering student, explained that PRINCE is a reusable architecture for constructing lunar towers, addressing limitations in prior NASA technology to reduce costs.
Rodríguez indicated the project took about six months from concept to a functional prototype. Students from mechanical, electrical, industrial and other engineering disciplines collaborated on mission requirements, subsystems, system integration and prototype construction. NOVA UPRM aims to develop space technologies and strengthen ties between RUM and the aerospace industry, with ties to NASA's Artemis program.
University Leaders React
RUM interim rector Miguel Muñoz told El Vocero that the achievement demonstrates the students' creativity, academic preparation and perseverance in turning ideas into solutions with potential to transform space exploration. University of Puerto Rico president Zayira Jordán Conde stated that the project shows the value of interdisciplinary research experiences and opens opportunities for Puerto Rican talent to contribute to future space exploration.
Team members described the extracurricular project as complementing classroom learning by building leadership, teamwork and practical problem-solving skills.
Where the sources differ
El Vocero and NotiCel largely agree on the $50,000 total, its breakdown, the number of competing teams, the name of the PRINCE project and post-competition NASA contacts. El Vocero includes direct quotes from RUM interim rector Miguel Muñoz and UPR president Zayira Jordán Conde; NotiCel does not. NotiCel adds that the reusable system addresses a specific prior NASA technology limitation and links the work to the Artemis program; El Vocero does not mention these details. Both published on the same day with nearly identical core facts.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not specify the exact date the NASA ORBIT competition took place or when the awards were announced. They provide no timeline for when the team will submit its formal proposal to NASA, whether funding beyond the $50,000 has been discussed, or details on the size or composition of the full student team. No information is given on the next concrete steps or any scheduled meetings with NASA.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Equipo del RUM gana competencia de NASA y recibe $50,000 para desarrollar tecnología lunar
- Reporting Equipo NOVA UPRM obtiene $50 mil para desarrollar tecnología lunar
How we checked this
El Vocero and NotiCel both covered the NOVA UPRM victory in detail on Oct. 28, 2026, drawing from team interviews. University leaders' statements appear only in El Vocero. All prize amounts, project name and NASA contact claims rest on the outlets' reporting of student accounts.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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