NASA is calling for student teams to submit proposals by Sept. 15 for the 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge, an annual competition where participants design, build and test rovers simulating exploration on the Moon and Mars. The event, part of NASA’s Artemis Student Challenges, encourages middle school, high school and college students to develop engineering skills through hands-on projects aligned with the agency’s lunar missions.
Teams can compete in human-powered or remote-controlled divisions, following guidelines in the challenge handbook available on the NASA website. The competition mimics Artemis operations, requiring rovers to navigate a half-mile course featuring simulated asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses and an ancient streambed. Human-powered teams, acting as astronauts in a lunar terrain vehicle, must use custom tools to collect soil, water and air samples manually. Remote-controlled entries, representing pressurized rovers, incorporate onboard tools for sample collection and testing.
“Last year, we saw a lot of success with the debut of our remote-controlled division and the addition of middle school teams,” said Vemitra Alexander, the activity lead for the challenge at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “We’re looking forward to building on both our remote-controlled and human-powered divisions with new challenges for the students, including rover automation.”
The nine-month challenge begins with proposal submission, followed by a competitive selection process and milestone reviews, including design, operational readiness, mission readiness and excursion readiness assessments. Eligible participants include U.S. and international students from grades six through college, as well as informal education groups. The culmination occurs April 9-11, 2026, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center near Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 2025, the 31st annual event drew 75 teams and more than 500 students from 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools and two middle schools across 20 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries. Among them was Oxon Hill High School from Oxon Hill, Maryland, competing in the human-powered high school division. The team navigated the obstacle course but did not place in the top awards. Other nearby participants included Liberty University from Lynchburg, Virginia, and Campbell University from Buies Creek, North Carolina, with Campbell securing first place in the human-powered college division and second in remote-controlled college.
The 2025 winners highlighted international and diverse talent. Parish Episcopal School from Dallas took first in human-powered high school, while Campbell University led the college category. In remote-controlled, Bright Foundation from Surrey, British Columbia, won middle/high school, and Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo from the Dominican Republic topped college. Additional awards recognized ingenuity, safety, task challenges and STEM engagement, with no Maryland teams among the recipients that year.
Since starting in 1994, the NASA rover challenge has engaged over 15,000 students, many advancing to careers at NASA or in aerospace. It reflects Artemis goals of scientific discovery, technology development and preparing for Mars missions by fostering STEM education.
For Southern Maryland students, the NASA rover challenge offers accessible opportunities, given the region’s proximity to NASA facilities and STEM initiatives. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, about a 45-minute drive from Charles County via Route 5, supports Artemis through instrument development, including a lunar seismometer for the 2026 Artemis III mission. University of Maryland researchers in College Park, roughly an hour north of St. Mary’s County, have contributed to Artemis by designing spacesuits and lunar tools.
Local programs at Patuxent River Naval Air Station enhance participation potential. The base hosts the Engineering Exploration Experience, a one-week summer camp for grades six through eight focusing on aviation and robotics, aligning with NASA rover challenge skills. In 2022, Patuxent River pilots and Maryland students connected with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station via downlink, discussing exploration topics. The Maryland Department of Commerce’s STEMConnect database lists federal programs like the NASA rover challenge, aiding students in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties to find internships and competitions.
NASA’s broader Artemis Student Challenges, funded with nearly $2.4 million in 2020, include competitions for lander design, rover exploration of lava tubes and CubeSat development, inspiring nationwide involvement. These efforts, distributed through the National Space Grant Consortia, provide online resources and hands-on kits, with past pilots expanding to all states.
Teams interested in the 2026 NASA rover challenge can access the handbook and submit proposals via the official site. The competition not only builds technical expertise but also connects participants to NASA’s workforce pipeline, with former entrants contributing to real missions.
