Human Exploration Rover Challenge
The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) is a rigorous and continuously evolving activity which engages students in hands-on engineering design correlated to NASA’s Artemis missions. HERC aims to meet established educational objectives and provide constant program improvement that satisfy the needs of its participants. HERC is opened to U.S. and International student teams at the middle school, high school, and college/university level. Our culminating event is each year in Huntsville, Alabama home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
Event Dates
April 11-12, 2025
Event location
U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
Eligibility
Open to U.S. and International Students
grade levels
6-12, College and University
NASA Announces Teams to Compete in International Rover Challenge
NASA has selected 75 student teams to begin an engineering design challenge to build rovers that will compete next spring…
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2025 Handbook
Competition requirements, timeline, and general information
The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge Handbook contains information that teams will need to know to participate in the challenge. The handbook includes the following: General Information, Timeline, Competition Guidelines and Regulations, Requirements, Deliverables, Points Breakdown and Allocation, and Course Descriptions and Design. The Handbook may receive periodic updates; please be sure to check back to make sure you are working from the most recent copy.
Please direct questions and inquiries regarding registration, event operations, or logistics to HERC@mail.nasa.gov.
2024 Teams
See the list of teams for the 2024 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC)
Participating teams represent 42 colleges and universities and 30 high schools from 24 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 13 other nations from around the world.
View Teams
Frequently Asked Questions
Check the FAQs for logistic and general questions received from team members.
Please direct questions and inquiries regarding registration, event operations, or logistics to HERC@mail.nasa.gov.
Read More
Course Map
HERC’s course at Aviation Challenge at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Wondering about the course layout for this competition? Need to plan your team’s strategy? Look over the location of obstacles and tasks to create the optimum route.
View Course Map
Join Artemis!
Authentic, hands-on learning experiences give students in middle school all the way through graduate school a chance to flex their design and engineering skills as they build and launch high-powered rockets, design robots capable of mining the Moon’s surface or traversing difficult lunar terrain, create human-powered rovers, and test technologies and tools to assist future astronauts working on the Moon.
Learn More about Join Artemis!
Contact Us
Please direct questions and inquiries regarding registration, competition operations or logistics to the challenge organizers listed below.
HERC Implementation Team
Office of STEM Engagement
Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, AL
HERC@mail.nasa.gov
Members of the news media interested in attending or interviewing participants before or during the event should contact the organizers listed below.
Chris Blair / Taylor Goodwin
Public and Employee Communications Office
Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville, AL
256-544-0034
christopher.e.blair@nasa.gov / taylor.goodwin@nasa.gov
