Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Aerospace
LUNA -2026
Young Innovators from Different Countries to Present Game-Changing
Space Startups at the LUNA 2026 Finals
LUNA International Competition for Space Entrepreneurship 2026– Official Results Announcement
On June 3, 2026, the final event of the LUNA International Competition for Space Entrepreneurship took place at the Queen of Sheba Hotel in Eilat, Israel, featuring 11 outstanding space-tech ventures developed by students from Israel, the United States, India, and Nigeria.
Organized by Out of the Box Aerospace, under the umbrella of its global Science Accelerator program, in collaboration with the Eilat Municipality and SeaNovation Innovation Center, the competition marked the culmination of an intensive year of innovation, interdisciplinary teamwork, and international collaboration.
Nearly 500 students from Israel and around the world participated in different stages of the competition, developing dual-use technologies — solutions designed to support both space exploration and pressing challenges on Earth.
“During such a complex year, when students faced difficult security conditions, uncertainty, and constant changes, the very fact that a high-level international final took place in person is an extraordinary achievement,” said Vered Cohen Barzilay, founder and CEO of Out of the Box Aerospace.
“The students demonstrated that their journey of learning, research, teamwork, and venture development can lead to truly impressive results. The judges saw not just student ideas, but scientific and entrepreneurial ventures with deep thinking and real potential.”
Throughout the program, students were supported by expert mentors in science, engineering, business, and design, and guided by specially trained educators using a future-oriented pedagogical model. Many of the projects presented were startup-ready and integrated advanced AI tools and systems-thinking frameworks.
The final stage of the competition consisted of:
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Submission of a one-pager and marketing video
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A live MVP (Minimum Viable Product) booth demonstration
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An 8-minute pitch delivered before an international panel of judges, including representatives from NASA Ames, CzechInvest, and other leading organizations in space and innovation
Official Award Winners – LUNA 2026
🥇 First Place Award: Lunar Whisper — Amit Safed Yeshiva
🥈 Second Place Award: ASTRELAX — Ohel Shem
🥉 Third Place Award: SKYSHIELD — Hannah Senesh
Best Innovation Award: VESTA — Goldwater School, Eilat
Best MVP Award: NOVA-GREEN — Arraba Gifted Center
Online Track Winner: PyraPoint — American-Israeli Team
*The first-place winner, Lunar Whisper, will receive professional support from SeaNovation in Eilat to explore further development and commercialization of their technology.
**PyraPoint, winner of the online track, has been invited to present its project at a Small Satellite Conference at Kennedy Space Center in November 2026.
The LUNA 2026 Final Jury:
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Dr. Jacob Cohen – Chief Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
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Senior Representative, Israel Aerospace Industries – Space Division
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Dr. Roy Yaniv – Director, Global Aerospace Academy (GAA), Sheba Medical Center
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Ms. Susanna Benyo – Space Entrepreneur, Hungary
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Ms. Anat Arnon - HCM & Business Development, seanovation
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Ms. Elinor Rieger - Marketing, Community & Int. Relations' seanovation
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Mr. Shmuel Barzilay - CTO, Out of the Box Aeropsace
Preparing Youth to Solve Tomorrow’s Challenges
The LUNA competition places a strong emphasis on dual-use innovation, encouraging students to develop technologies relevant to lunar and Martian exploration, satellite missions, long-duration spaceflight, and extreme environments, while also addressing Earth-based challenges in fields such as health, communication, robotics, agriculture, and sustainability.
The program combines scientific research, entrepreneurship, advanced technologies, and real-world problem-solving, preparing young innovators to transform their ideas into practical solutions with meaningful impact.
The 2026 final also marked an important milestone in strengthening the connection between education, the aerospace industry, innovation, and local leadership. The City of Eilat received a certificate of appreciation and an honorary award in recognition of its commitment to advancing space, aviation, innovation, and future-oriented education.
“The decision to hold the final in Eilat proved to be both natural and inspiring,” said Vered Cohen Barzilay, founder and CEO of Out of the Box Aerospace. “The connection between outstanding students, industry, academia, entrepreneurship, and a local authority that believes in the vision creates an inspiring model for cities in Israel and around the world.”
Competition Videoclip