ADESC Student Design Competition
Closing the nation's directed energy workforce gap by moving students beyond simulations and into hands-on, hardware-ready experience.
Competition Year
2026 – 2027
Understand the Rules
[YouTube rules-explainer video embed goes here]
Read the full competition rules →Who Can Participate
- Any university, from anywhere in the world, may enter a team.
- The competition is for undergraduate students, but up to five graduate students per team may participate directly. Any number of graduate students may mentor the team and provide advice during design reviews.
- There is no limit on how large a team can be, but per the rules, a team must field at least three people on competition day filling these roles: Team Captain, Team Flight Safety Officer (Team FSO), and Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC).
- A Team Laser Safety Officer (Team LSO) is also required, but that role may be held by whoever holds any of the other three positions above.
Key Dates
All dates are nominal and subject to change. All times are Eastern Time (ET).
- Aug 15 — Game Rules Released
- Oct 15 — Registration Opens
- Nov 15, 11:59pm ET — Registration Closes
- Nov 30, 11:59pm ET — Registration Fee 1 Due
- Jan 15, 11:59pm ET — Design Reports Due
- Feb 15 — Design Report Pass/Fail Notification
- Apr 15, 11:59pm ET — Registration Fee 2 & Final Deliverables Due
- Thursday, June 10 — Set-Up and Initial Checkouts
- Friday, June 11 — Competition Day 1
- Saturday, June 12 — Competition Day 2 & Awards Ceremony
Total registration fee: $1,500, paid in two installments: Fee 1 of $500 (due Nov 30) and Fee 2 of $1,000 (due Apr 15).
Deliverables
All dates are nominal and subject to change. All times are Eastern Time (ET).
| Deliverable | Due Date |
|---|---|
| Team Registration (opens Oct 15, closes Nov 15) | Nov 15, 11:59pm ET |
| Registration Fee 1 ($500) | Nov 30, 11:59pm ET |
| Design Report | Jan 15, 11:59pm ET |
| LSO Training Log (submitted with Design Report) | Jan 15, 11:59pm ET |
| Registration Fee 2 ($1,000, Final) | Apr 15, 11:59pm ET |
| Airworthiness Video | Apr 15, 11:59pm ET |
Team Captains: register and submit your deliverables on the For Teams page.
Competition Venue
The competition will be held at the Pendleton UAS Range in Pendleton, Oregon, June 10, 11, and 12, 2027.
- Each team will be provided at least a 15 ft × 15 ft staging area within an air-conditioned hangar.
- The range will provide a single power strip connected to electrical power for each team to use.
- The range will also provide one folding table and three chairs per team.
- All other tools and equipment are the responsibility of the team to bring.
Questions & Answers
[Searchable, staff-approved Q&A will appear here once the database and Q&A submission flow are built.]