May 15th, 2026

Announcing the 2026 Genes in Space Semifinalists

The wait is officially over, and the future of space exploration looks brighter than ever. After reviewing the 980 submissions from across the country, Genes in Space honors our 37 Semifinalists. These Semifinalists have been asked to pitch their ideas in a 60-second video aimed at a high school audience.

Our team will review these videos, in addition to the Semifinalists’ written proposals, to select 10 Honorable Mentions and 5 Finalists. The Finalists will compete at the Countdown to Discovery in Houston this summer for the opportunity to have their proposal launched to space.

2026 Genes in Space Semifinalists

We proudly recognize the following Semifinalists:

  • Arjun Ananda (14) & Akhil Chunduri (14), Alliance Academy for Innovation, Alpharetta, GA
  • Amay Annasamudram (16), Arizona College Prep High School, Chandler, AZ
  • Aharshi Bhattacharjee (16), Panther Creek High School, Morrisville, NC
  • Shubhada Bhoyar (15), Livingston High School, Livingston, NJ
  • Reggie Castro (19), Marianas High School, Saipan, MP
  • Hannah Chae (16) & Ian Chae (15), Marianas High School, Saipan, MP
  • Vibhav Chinta (17) & Devansh Sharma (16), Marquette High School, Chesterfield, MO
  • Brandon Choi (16), Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Tech, Lawrenceville, GA
  • Seungwoo Choi (18), Marianas High School, Saipan, MP
  • Kevin Cui (15), Jasper High School, Plano, TX
  • Arjun Deshpande (16), WW-P High School South, Princeton Junction, NJ
  • Nikhil Fernandes (17) & Soneesh Kothagundla (18), Lambert High School, Suwanee, GA
  • Cody Gamboa (16) & Junheng Quan (15), Marianas High School, Saipan, MP
  • Ethan Greenblatt (15), Hunter College High School, New York, NY
  • Alex Han (17), Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY
  • Mia Hildebrand (17), Lake Washington High School, Kirkland, WA
  • Arjan Khadka (16) & Rithik Satarla (17), Paris High School, Paris, TX
  • Ashwin Kirubakaran (15), Edison Academy Magnet School, Edison, NJ
  • Daniel Li (16) & Lisa Burdi (16), Stuyvesant High School, New York, NY
  • Elizabeth Liu (17) & Diya Gandhi (17), The Bryn Mawr School, Baltimore, MD
  • Kelly Lock (16), Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA
  • Rujul Loura (14) & John Anantha (15), Lawrence E Elkins High School, Missouri City, TX
  • Mohammed Mohammed (16), David H. Hickman High School, Columbia, MO
  • Chinmay Naik (16), Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield, MO
  • Amelia Nandikesan (15), Stamford High School, Stamford, CT
  • Ansh Nayak (17), Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Tech, Lawrenceville, GA
  • John Philip (18), Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Tech, Lawrenceville, GA
  • Michelle Shim (16) & Yuichi Sato (17), Westminster High School, Westminster, CA
  • Lina Simonyan (17) & Jeremiah Markose (17), Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ
  • Bella Srivastava (14), Monroe Township High School, Monroe Township, NJ
  • Subhiksha Stephan (18) & Qianheng Xu (17), Millburn High School, Millburn, NJ
  • Serena Tsao (16) & Chloe Comisarow (16), Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY
  • Nidhi Veerendra (15), Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy, Downingtown, PA
  • Mandy Wu (16), Lincoln Park High School, Chicago, IL
  • Claire Zhang (16), The Nueva School, San Mateo, CA
  • Justin Zhao (19) & Jason Zhao (17), Jericho High School, Jericho, NY
  • Owen Zhu (17) & Roland Lasrado (16), Brooklyn Technical High School, Brooklyn, NY

To our Semifinalists, congratulations! We look forward to reviewing your videos. On Friday, May 22nd, we will announce our Honorable Mentions and Finalists.