NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement invites collegiate teams to participate in the LUNABOTICS robotic mining competition, an Artemis Student Challenge designed to educate college students in the NASA Systems Engineering process. Participating teams will use this process to design and construct a prototype robot that demonstrates the technologies required for long-term human presence on the Moon and other off-world locations.
The robots will have to maneuver and excavate in a lunar-like environment filled with abrasive regolith simulants, account for weight and size limitations, and operate by remote control or through autonomous operations.
The challenge is comprised of multiple phases and includes deliverables such as a project management plan, systems engineering paper, presentation, and product demonstration. The competition culminates with an on-site awards ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
Registration for this competition begins at noon EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, and closes at noon EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. Registration is limited to the first 50 completed and accepted team applications.
LUNABOTICS allows NASA to gather and evaluate student design and operational data for future robotic excavators and builders, the same way it does for its own, less frequent prototypes. Encouraging student innovation increases the potential of identifying clever solutions to the many challenges inherent in future Artemis missions. Under Artemis, NASA aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term lunar exploration.
To learn more about LUNABOTICS, visit
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