High School Aerospace Scholars: 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Who is eligible?

Applicant must be:

• U.S. citizen

• Texas resident

• High school junior

• Interested and excited about science, technology, engineering, or mathematics

• Committed to a one-year relationship with Johnson, including a designated five-day 

virtual summer experience

• Able to access the Internet (home, school, or public library)

How do I apply?

The HAS application is open annually between September and October. Check application link 

on the splash page and download Important Dates to see when the next application will 

open.

Who do I contact about my application?

Email hq-nasa-stem-gateway@mail.nasa.gov for all questions about your application.

What happens after I submit my application?

You will receive an email from hq-nasa-stem-gateway@mail.nasa.gov confirming the 

submission of your application. Your application is considered complete once we have 

received all of your supporting materials. You are notified by email notification as each item is 

received. Award notifications of application acceptance will be sent end of October via email 

from hq-nasa-stem-gateway@mail.nasa.gov. Notification about login to the online course 

and student orientation will be sent via email from jsc-has@mail.nasa.gov.
Who do I contact if I do not receive a confirmation email after I submit 

my application or if I have problems with the web site?

Please send an email to hq-nasa-stem-gateway@mail.nasa.gov and be as specific as 

possible.

What is the timeline?

• September: State Legislators receive information from HAS team describing the

activity and its guidelines.

• September-October: Application and selection process for students.

• November-February: Students engage in interactive online learning and discussions 

related to space exploration, including webinars and online discussions with NASA 

engineers and scientists.

• April-May: Selected students prepare for the summer virtual experience.

• Early June: Virtual summer experience – Moonshot.

• Late July: 4-Day Onsite Residential Experience for students from top teams of 

Moonshot summer experience.

What will I do if I’m selected to participate?

Online Course: During the school year students complete an online course. This state-aligned 

STEM curriculum focuses on Earth, Aeronautics, International Space Station, Moon to Mars, 

and the Solar System. The course includes interactive lessons, rubric-based activities, and 

quizzes.

Summer Experience: Highest achieving students with a 70 percent or greater overall average 

will receive an invitation to a five-day virtual summer experience. In this portion of the course, 

students collaboratively work with a team to complete an Artemis-themed Moon to Mars 

mission and design challenge by working with NASA mentors.

What will this cost?

No cost for selected students, technical reviewers, game moderators, or counselors.
How do I obtain more information?

For questions not answered on the website, please contact us at jsc-has@mail.nasa.gov

How do I get the science elective credit?

Upon successful completion of the online portion of the course, supporting documentation 

will be provided to students for a 0.5 Science elective credit. If students are selected and 

successfully complete the summer virtual experience, additional documentation will be 

provided for a second 0.5 Science elective credit. The elective credit documentation will be 

provided to the student, who is then responsible to submit the documentation to the school.

For both the online and summer virtual portions of the activity, it is at the discretion of each 

student’s high school as to whether credit will be awarded.

What if I still have HAS questions?

For more information about the NASA High School Aerospace Scholars activity, please email 

questions to jsc-has@mail.nasa.gov.

Are there additional student resources?

• Student Careers

• Student Internship Opportunities

• NASA Jobs

• Current Student Opportunities at NASA

• NASA Office of STEM Engagement Opportunities

• NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars