NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge
- NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge is in its 31st year, an annual engineering competition that challenges students to design and build a lunar rover.
- The 2025 challenge required teams to power their rovers either with human pilots or remote control, with over 500 students from around the world participating.
- Teams represented 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools from 20 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 other nations.
- The competition is one of NASA’s longest-standing student challenges, with a wide range of participants from different educational backgrounds.
- The event aims to promote STEM education, engineering skills, and innovation among students, while also showcasing their capabilities in designing and building complex systems.
NASA/Charles Beason
Two students guide their rover through an obstacle course in this April 11, 2025, image from the 2025 Human Exploration Rover Challenge. The annual engineering competition – one of NASA’s longest standing student challenges – is in its 31st year. This year’s competition challenged teams to design, build, and test a lunar rover powered by either human pilots or remote control. More than 500 students with 75 teams from around the world participated, representing 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools from 20 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 other nations.
Image credit: NASA/Charles Beason
Q. What is the name of the annual engineering competition organized by NASA?
A. The Human Exploration Rover Challenge.
Q. How many years has the Human Exploration Rover Challenge been running?
A. It is in its 31st year.
Q. What was the challenge for this year’s teams?
A. Teams had to design, build, and test a lunar rover powered by either human pilots or remote control.
Q. How many students participated in the competition?
A. More than 500 students participated.
Q. Where did the participants come from?
A. The participants came from around the world, representing 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools from 20 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 other nations.
Q. What was the total number of teams that participated in the competition?
A. There were 75 teams participating in the competition.
Q. How many colleges and universities represented participants in this year’s challenge?
A. 35 colleges and universities participated.
Q. What type of vehicles did the teams design, build, and test?
A. Lunar rovers powered by either human pilots or remote control.
Q. In what year was the competition held?
A. The competition was held in April 2025.
Q. Who took the image that is credited to NASA/Charles Beason?
A. Charles Beason