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What if you could build and operate a lunar rover?

That's exactly the opportunity which NASA offers students, from sixth grade to graduate school, with their annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge.

AND--they're just about to start hosting virtual information sessions for their 2024-2025 semester challenge!

NASA Program Specialist Dr. Vemitra Alexander says the first information sessions for the 2024-2025 school year will begin in August. Posted dates for the competition finals are April 11-12, 2025, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Here's a link to the 2024 handbook.

The challenge

NASA's HERC program challenges student teams to design and engineer vehicles capable of traversing the Moon's surface. Throughout the school year, the teams work on design, construction and troubleshooting.

In the process, students from public, private and home schools are honing their skills in communication, collaboration and problem-solving, while researching new technologies that may assist future astronauts.

Then, in the spring, selected student teams get to demonstrate the effectiveness of their vehicles. On a simulated lunar surface at Marshall Space Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, teams navigate their rovers, accomplish specific tasks and overcome obstacles.

Long-term benefits

Meanwhile, the skills students learn, while collaborating on the teams, are not for future space scientists alone.

"These are transferable skills," explains Dr. Alexander, who is the team lead on the HERC program.

"...You got to be able to communicate effectively, (and) you got to be able to collaborate, even in industry."

Dr. Alexander explained the HERC program, offered a closer look at what's involved for participants and discussed the ways NASA's HERC program is preparing students for the future.