Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
NASA will hold the 2026 Lunabotics Challenge from May 19 to 21 at the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition will run daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with media invited to attend on May 20 by RSVPing to the Kennedy newsroom before May 18.
Fifty college teams from across the United States will design, build, and operate self-driving lunar robot prototypes. These rovers must construct berms—protective barriers made from simulated lunar regolith—intended to safeguard Artemis program infrastructure on the Moon. Such berms can protect equipment from debris during lunar landings and launches, provide shade for cryogenic propellant tanks, shield nuclear power plants from space radiation, and serve other critical functions.
According to Kurt Leucht, a NASA software developer and researcher involved with the Lunabotics Challenge, robotically building berm structures is essential for supporting crewed lunar missions. He also noted that participating students gain valuable engineering skills relevant to their future careers while advancing NASA's Artemis mission goals.
Established in 2010, NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge is part of the Artemis Student Challenges, which aim to engage students in STEM fields by offering research and design opportunities related to space technologies.