How Lockheed Martin Powers the Dream of Living in Space

On October 4, 1957, the world watched Sputnik 1, the first human-made Earth satellite, ascend to orbit. Since that historic day, generations of scientists, engineers and dreamers have made it a mission to play a role, no matter how small, in shaping the future of aerospace.

Nearly seven decades later, humanity is preparing for its next giant leap: returning to the Moon, building sustainable habitats beyond Earth and eventually stepping foot on Mars. Until now, living and working in space only existed in the realm of science fiction. Today, that mission is a call-to-action for nations and industries to answer.

Lockheed Martin knows that powering the future doesn't begin with the schematic of a spacecraft or rocket. The journey begins in the classrooms, labs and communities where curiosity is sparked through STEM education.

From School to Space

In 2024, Lockheed Martin invested more than $16 million in STEM programs, reaching thousands of students across the United States.

Investments are made through robust partnerships with middle and high schools, universities, nonprofit programs and Lockheed Martin-led aerospace design challenges. Some programs include FIRST® Robotics or STEM Next Opportunity Fund, which offer hands-on experiences for students. From middle school classrooms to advanced engineering labs, Lockheed Martin meets students where they are to transform curiosity into capability.

Lockheed Martin's commitment goes far beyond funding too.

Last year, more than 3,700 Lockheed Martin employees volunteered over 208,000 hours in their communities. Among those efforts, many served as mentors and coaches for STEM programs, inspiring students through connections to state-of-the-art spacecraft, satellites and defense systems.

By cultivating talent early and empowering the next generation of problem-solvers, Lockheed Martin is ensuring a bright future for the industry and humanity's journey into space.

First Steps

Deep space exploration is at the heart of what it means to live in space. Just as Lockheed Martin has helped power every Mars mission to date, today's students are being challenged to imagine the technologies that bring us closer to the Red Planet than ever before.

This year, the Mission Mars Challenge invites teams of two to three students to design projects that support a sustainable presence on Mars, focused on transportation, habitation, power generation and resource development.

The winning team and their educator sponsor will win a trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

This challenge is an invitation for students to leverage real-world resources, like Lockheed Martin's Mars Base Camp concept and lunar architecture models, in planning their solutions. With national leaders keen on advancing Mars research, initiatives like this foster curiosity and capability in young innovators to design the technologies that will trigger humanity's next giant leap.

Just as Sputnik 1 sparked a global wave of innovation, the Mission Mars Challenge will serve as an early step in workforce development for the next generation of space pioneers. Lockheed Martin is committed to education and discovery; today's students won't only imagine the future of space - they will build it.