Schedule of Events
refer to the Master Schedule for offical dates and times.
2026 Mission patch challenge
Following the great response from last year's design competition, the 2026 Mission Patch Design is open for submissions. The deadline for submissions is January 3, 2026. The winning design will receive a $250 prize and will be presented during the closing awards ceremony.
2026 IREC Application/Entry Fee
Accepted teams will be able to pay their Non-Refundable Team Application Fee on or before November 15, 2025. The fee must be paid no later than December 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM Central to continue through the competition process.
Progress Report 1
Progress Report 1 is expected to open on November 15, 2025 and close on December 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM Central.
International Team Visa Letter Requests
Accepted International Teams requiring a VISA LETTER: Submit a single email request per team to general.info@esrarocket.org requesting a Visa Letter. VISA applications should be completed ASAP.
Please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html for additional information.
Acceptance Announcement
2026 IREC acceptance announcements will be made in early November. November 15th is a tentative date only. Please direct any questions to general.info@esrarocket.org.
2026 IREC Application Opens
2025 IREC Application window opens at 12:00 am (CT) on Monday, October 6, 2025 and will close at 5:00 pm (CT) on Friday, October 24, 2025.
Please see the International Rocket Engineering Competition Rules & Requirements Document for additional information.