NASA’s Microgravity University proposes a series of design challenges for undergraduate students on an annual basis, which directly relate to space exploration missions. During fall semester, Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams develop and propose a tool or device which meets the requirements of their preferred challenge. NASA officials review submitted proposals and offer the opportunity for selected teams’ lead officials to test their devices in-person at the Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.

A subset of the University at Buffalo’s American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) chapter, Micro-g NExT is an entirely student-run club which operates alongside the Design-Build-Fly (DBF) team. Membership is open to all undergraduates of any major and provides opportunities for mentorship to faculty, graduate students, and community members. Students collectively research, then design and document their solution to one of the NASA challenges in a technical proposal. Alongside design, members gain hands-on experience testing and building components for a working prototype, as well as contribute to local organizations and events for community outreach.