May 11, 2026
NASA’s 2026 Lunabotics Challenge Set for May at Kennedy Space Center
From Tuesday, May 19 through Thursday, May 21, NASA will host its annual Lunabotics Challenge at the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education, located within the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida.
The event will showcase 50 collegiate teams from across the United States, each tasked with designing, constructing, and operating autonomous lunar rover prototypes. These rovers must demonstrate the ability to autonomously build protective berms using simulated lunar soil, known as regolith, to shield vital Artemis mission infrastructure on the Moon.
These berms serve multiple critical functions in lunar exploration, such as protecting equipment from debris generated during landings and takeoffs, providing shade for cryogenic fuel storage, and shielding nuclear power systems from harmful space radiation. The development of robotic berm-building capabilities is essential for establishing sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.
“Robotic construction of berms will play a pivotal role in supporting crewed lunar missions,” explained Kurt Leucht, a NASA software developer and In-Situ Resource Utilization researcher at Kennedy Space Center. “Participants in this competition are honing engineering skills that will not only benefit their future careers but also directly contribute to NASA’s Artemis program objectives.”
The Lunabotics Challenge, initiated in 2010, is part of NASA’s Artemis Student Challenges aimed at inspiring and retaining students in STEM disciplines by providing hands-on opportunities in research, design, and engineering related to space exploration technologies.
The competition will be streamed live daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Interested viewers can access live coverage through links available on NASA’s official Lunabotics Challenge webpage.
Media representatives are welcome to attend the event on Wednesday, May 20. To participate, journalists must RSVP by 4 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 18, by contacting the Kennedy Space Center newsroom at ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
For additional details and updates about the challenge, visit: NASA Lunabotics Challenge.
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Amanda Griffin
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Phone: 321-867-2468
Email: amanda.griffin@nasa.gov
