12 Planetary Science Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you are a high school student interested in space science, planetary science summer programs can help you explore topics that go beyond standard coursework. These programs introduce you to areas such as planetary geology, orbital mechanics, astrophysics, and space systems through structured academic experiences and guided projects. You may also gain exposure to how scientific research is conducted while developing skills in data analysis, coding, and scientific reasoning.
What are the benefits of a planetary science program?
Participating in a planetary science program allows you to engage more deeply with scientific concepts while working with tools, datasets, and methods used in the field. You may analyze astronomical data, study planetary systems, or contribute to research-focused projects under the guidance of mentors and researchers. These experiences can help you build technical skills, understand research workflows, and strengthen your academic profile for future STEM studies.
To help get you started, here’s our list of the 12 planetary science summer programs for high school students.
If you’re looking for online summer research programs, check out our blog here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; typically ~100–120 students total across all SSP International tracks each summer
Location: Multiple university campuses in the U.S. (locations vary by year)
Cost: Free to participate; fully funded (tuition, housing, meals covered)
Program Dates: Mid–late June to late July (5-week residential program)
Application Deadline: International applicants: January 29 | Domestic applicants: February 19
Eligibility: High school juniors who have completed physics and precalculus (or calculus); must be at least 15 and under 19 during the program
If you’re interested in planetary science through asteroid dynamics and orbital mechanics, this program places you in a five-week, research-intensive environment focused on near-Earth objects. You’ll work in a small team to observe asteroids using professional telescopes, perform astrometric measurements, and write Python code to calculate orbital elements from real observational data. Your work follows the full scientific pipeline, from drafting observing proposals to reducing data and applying calculus-based celestial mechanics. You’ll use tools such as JupyterLab, Astropy, and Matplotlib to analyze and visualize asteroid trajectories. Final results are submitted to the NASA-funded Minor Planet Center, thereby contributing directly to planetary defense efforts.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Remote , you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type; full financial aid available
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here, and check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; only a small fraction advance to summer Moonshot and on-site cohorts
Location: Virtual | Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX
Cost: Free to participate; fully funded, including the summer residential experience
Program Dates: Early June (virtual Moonshot); late July (on-site residential experience)
Application Deadline: September 27
Eligibility: Texas high school juniors who are U.S. citizens; completion of academic-year coursework required to access summer phases
Texas High School Aerospace Scholars is a selective NASA program in which you can earn access to competitive summer experiences through an academic-year training phase. During the summer Moonshot experience, you’ll work in teams to design Artemis-aligned missions targeting the Moon and Mars under mentorship from NASA scientists and engineers. Top-performing teams are invited to a fully funded, in-person summer residency at Johnson Space Center, where you will engage in hands-on systems design challenges and mission simulations. The summer components emphasize planetary environments, human spaceflight constraints, and mission architecture rather than theoretical instruction. You’ll apply skills in coding, CAD, and engineering trade-off analysis developed earlier in the program. The experience culminates in formal mission presentations evaluated against real aerospace design criteria.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small national cohort (typically ~20–30 students)
Location: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Cost: Free to participate; room and board provided
Program Dates: July 20 – 25
Application Deadline: Early March
Eligibility: U.S. high school students; international students are not eligible
Physics of Atomic Nuclei (PAN) is a one-week, in-person summer program where you explore how nuclear physics underpins astrophysics and cosmology. Hosted at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, you’ll work directly with faculty, researchers, and graduate students to perform hands-on experiments in a national research laboratory. The program emphasizes how atomic nuclei form, evolve, and influence stellar processes and element formation in the universe. You’ll participate in lab-based investigations, guided lectures, and discussions that connect microscopic nuclear behavior to large-scale cosmic phenomena. Rather than focusing on planets or space missions, PAN is best suited if you’re interested in the physical foundations of stars, supernovae, and cosmology.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohort; pilot years enrolled ~15 students per class
Location: Brown University (Providence, RI) with programming at partner Providence public high schools
Cost: Free; full scholarships are available for accepted students to attend Brown pre-college programs
Program Dates: Academic-year program with optional summer research internships (3–7 weeks)
Application Deadline: Not publicly listed; participation coordinated through partner schools
Eligibility: Providence Public School District (PPSD) high school sophomores and juniors only
DEEPS CORES is a school-partnership STEM outreach and pipeline program run by Brown University’s Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences. The program introduces Providence public high school students to earth and planetary sciences, climate systems, carbon cycling, and planetary health through regular academic-year meetings led by graduate students and postdocs. A major focus is mentorship and access-building: students receive structured support applying to Brown’s Summer@Brown programs (with guaranteed scholarships if accepted) and may participate in short research internships (3–7 weeks) with DEEPS faculty during the summer or academic year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~215 students accepted from ~2,000 applicants nationally
Location: University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research, Austin, TX (on-site); virtual options available
Cost: Free for scholarship recipients; fully funded options available (housing, meals, local transportation provided). Travel scholarships are available.
Program Dates: June – July 21 (virtual projects) | July 5 – 18 (on-site internship)
Application Deadline: February 22
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are current high school sophomores or juniors (rising juniors/seniors); must be 16 by July 5
SEES places you directly into research teams working on Earth and space science problems. You’ll collaborate with NASA scientists, engineers, and UT Austin researchers on mission-aligned projects spanning planetary science, remote sensing, aerospace systems, and space geodetic techniques. Before the residential phase, you’ll complete structured Earth and space science and Python distance-learning modules to prepare for research workflows. During the on-site internship, you’ll analyze and visualize real datasets, participate in field investigations, and apply systems thinking to mission-driven research questions. Virtual interns follow project-specific schedules with the same technical expectations and mentor engagement as on-site interns. All participants present their work at the SEES Virtual Science Symposium, gaining experience in scientific communication and professional research presentation.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~50 students per summer across both Core sessions; ~12–15 students advance to REACH Further
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost: $2,500 (Core Program); +$1,500 (REACH Further); full or partial tuition assistance is available
Program Dates: June 15 – July 2 or July 6 – 24 (Core Program) | July 6 – August 14 (REACH Further)
Application Deadline: March 9
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10–12; no prior coding or astronomy experience required
REACH provides a structured entry point into planetary and space science through computation and focuses on how astronomers and planetary scientists actually work with data. During the Core program, you’ll learn Python programming and scientific data analysis while exploring topics such as stars, planets, galaxies, and planetary systems. You’ll work with astronomical images, simulations, and datasets, and apply those skills to guided mini-projects drawn from active research at CIERA. Project topics may include simulating planetary systems, studying habitable zones of other worlds, or analyzing stellar and galactic data. If selected for REACH Further, you’ll conduct a mentored, small-scale research project with a CIERA scientist, set weekly goals, and present your findings at the end of the session.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: highly selective national cohort; ~32 students per summer
Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT
Cost: $7,800 (includes room & board, instruction, field trips, project costs, and materials); need-based financial aid is available (up to 80% tuition remission)
Program Dates: June 22 – July 3 (online component) | July 5 – August 2 (on-campus residential)
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors (current 11th graders); must be at least 15.5 years old by early July
YSPA offers an intensive introduction to how astronomers study physical systems using data. You’ll begin with an online preparatory program focused on astronomy fundamentals, programming, and quantitative reasoning, then transition to a four-week residential experience at Yale. During the on-campus portion, you’ll analyze telescope data, learn scientific programming and data visualization, and complete a multi-week astrophysics modeling project. You’ll also participate in practical activities, including solar observations, atmospheric experiments, and short, engineering-style labs that intersect with planetary and Earth sciences. The program concludes with a written research paper and a formal presentation at the YSPA mini-conference.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 160–200 students per campus
Location: University of California campuses (Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Merced)
Cost: Paid program; tuition varies by campus; financial aid is available
Program Dates: 4 weeks, typically late June – July
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: California high school students completing grades 8–12
COSMOS is a four-week residential STEM program where you explore advanced scientific topics beyond what is typically offered in high school. Depending on the UC campus and cluster you apply to, you may study astronomy, astrophysics, or physics topics closely connected to planetary systems and cosmology. You’ll learn in a university research environment through lab-based coursework, faculty-led instruction, and collaborative problem-solving. You’ll work alongside motivated peers from across California while gaining exposure to college-level expectations and research culture. COSMOS is best suited for students seeking a rigorous academic foundation in space-related sciences rather than a narrowly defined planetary science internship.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited seats per project, first-come, first-served admissions
Location: George Mason University (Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William campuses); remote and hybrid options are available
Cost: Paid program; fees vary by track; scholarships/waivers are available
Program Dates: Varies by project; summer tracks typically run 4–8 weeks (some extend up to 3 months)
Application Deadline: Applications open early February; rolling admissions until seats fill (often by late April)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9–12 (some tracks allow college freshmen); international students allowed (no visa sponsorship)
The George Mason University Young Scholars Research Program offers mentored research experiences across multiple disciplines, including Astronomy Data Analysis and Space Research. In relevant summer tracks, you work directly with GMU faculty on NASA mission data, particularly from TESS and the James Webb Space Telescope, focusing on exoplanet detection, statistical validation, and observational follow-up. You’ll use professional tools, including Python, Jupyter notebooks, AstroImageJ, FITS files, and Bayesian/statistical methods, to analyze real astronomical datasets that support ongoing NASA research. Many tracks culminate in a formal research paper and a conference-style presentation, with guidance designed to produce competition-ready or publishable student work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; the exact size is not published
Location: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Cost: $2,899; limited scholarships are available
Program Dates: Week I (Introduction): July 12 – July 18 | Week II (Advanced Topics): July 19 – July 25 (Students may attend one or both weeks)
Application Deadline: Domestic students: May 24 | International students: April 12
Eligibility: High school students completing 10th or 11th grade, ages 16–18
The Rutgers Astronomy & Astrophysics Summer Academy is a residential, in-person introduction to the space sciences designed for high school students interested in astronomy before college. Across one or two weeks, you’ll study astronomy, planetary science, astrophysics, and cosmology through lectures, guided activities, and observational experiences. The curriculum emphasizes foundational scientific reasoning, data interpretation, and observational thinking rather than independent research. Highlights include visits to the Robert A. Schommer Astronomical Observatory, hands-on engineering-style activities (such as rocket launches), and direct interaction with professional astrophysicists. Students who complete the program earn a Rutgers Pre-College Digital Badge.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; mentor-selected placements (varies by lab)
Location: George Mason University (Fairfax / Manassas / Woodbridge) + remote options
Cost: $1,299 (waivable for financial need)
Program Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application Deadline: February 15
Eligibility: High school & undergraduates; 15+ (16+ for wet-lab research)
ASSIP is a mentor-based summer research internship where you work directly with a George Mason faculty member on an active research project. ASSIP functions like an individual lab placement, similar to how undergraduates conduct summer research at universities. Projects span astronomy and planetary science (including exoplanets and space weather), atmospheric and Earth sciences, climate modeling, physics, data science, and many other STEM fields, depending on mentor availability. You have to commit ~30 hours per week to original research and conclude the program with a formal poster presentation. Because the research workload is equivalent to undergraduate research-for-credit, you’ll earn 3 George Mason University credits.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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