NASA announces winners of 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge – NASA

Phoenix Award

• High School: East Central High School, Moss Point, Mississippi
• College/University Department: North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

Mission Challenge Award

• High School: Erie High School, Erie, Colorado
• College/University Division: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

Project Jury Award

• High School: Episcopal School of the Diocese of Dallas
• College/University Department: University of Alabama at Huntsville

Featherweight Award

• Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island

Safety Award

• Senior School: NPS International School, Singapore
• College/University Department: Instituto Especializado de Estudios Superiores Loyola, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic

crash and burn award

• KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi National Capital Region, India

Jeff Norris and Joe Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award

Team Spirit Award

• Polytechnic Institute of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Best Improved Performance Award

• Upper School: Jesco von Puttkamer School, Leipzig, Germany
• College/University Department: Universidad Catlica Boliviana San Pablo, La Paz, Bolivia

Social Media Award

• High School: Bledsoe County High School, Pikeville, Tennessee
• College/University Department: University of Piura, Peru

STEM Engagement Award

• High School: Princess Margaret Secondary School, Surrey, British Columbia
• College/University Department: Trine University, Angola, IN

Artemis Educator Award

• Sadif Safarov, Istanbul Technical University, Türkiye

Rookie of the Year

• Karnakiya International School, Mumbai, India

More than 600 students on 72 teams from around the world participated in HERC to celebrate its 30th anniversary as a NASA competition. Participating teams come from 42 colleges and universities and 30 high schools in 24 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 13 other countries around the world. Teams earn points by completing a half-mile obstacle course, performing mission-specific challenges, and completing multiple safety and design reviews with NASA engineers.

Vemitra Alexander, HERC activities lead for NASA’s Marshall STEM Engagement Office, said the student design challenge encourages the next generation of scientists and engineers to participate in the design process by providing innovative concepts and unique perspectives. As it celebrates the challenge’s 30th anniversary, HERC continues NASA’s tradition of providing valuable experience to students who may be responsible for planning future space missions, including crewed missions to other worlds.

HERC is one of NASA’s eight Artemis Student Challenges and reflects the goals of the Artemis program to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon while providing opportunities for science and exploration Establish a long-term presence. NASA uses challenges like this to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

HERC is managed by NASA’s STEM Engagement Southeast Regional Office in Marshall. Since its founding in 1994, more than 15,000 students have attended HERC, with many former students now working at NASA or in the aerospace industry.

To learn more about HERC, please visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/home/index.html

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Jerel Dodson
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-4637
gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov

Taylor Goodwin
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama.
256-544-0034
taylor.goodwin@nasa.gov