Lunabotics

Overview

The NASA Lunabotics competition, previously known as the NASA Robotic Mining Competition, is an annual competition hosted by NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Teams build robots that mine in a simulated Lunar environment, where the floor of the arena consists of gravel covered by a layer of packed lunar regolith simulant. Robots are tasked with crossing the arena while avoiding obstacles, gathering lunar regolith, and depositing the regolith to build a berm. Teams are scored based on the size of the berm built during the run, as well as other factors like dust protection, power usage, weight, and level of autonomy. The Lunar simulation brings unique challenges, including the drive team being isolated from the arena and Earth-dependent sensors like GPS being banned.

Why Join?

If you're into space, mining, or industry applicable design and systems engineering, Lunabotics is the project for you! You'll receive experience in:

Space systems and lunar robotics
Excavation and mechanism design
Autonomy and controls
System integration and testing

What you'll work on

Designing excavation and drivetrain systems
CAD modeling, prototyping, and fabrication
Integrating sensors and power systems
Developing autonomy and navigation software
Testing subsystems and full-system integration
Preparing systems engineering documentation and formal design reviews

Subteams

Mechanical

Designs the robot’s structure, drivetrain, and excavation system.

Focus Areas:

Excavation mechanism design
Chassis and drivetrain architecture
CAD modeling and design iteration
fabrication, assembly, and integration
subsystem testing and performance tuning

Software

Develops autonomy, controls, and logic.

Focus Areas

autonomous navigation and localization
sensor integration and data processing
control systems and motion logic
testing and debugging on hardware

Electrical

Builds and integrates the robot’s power and control systems.

Focus Areas:

power distribution and wiring harness design
motor controllers and sensor integration
embedded systems and communication
electrical debugging and system validation
reliability and safety considerations

Meet the Leads

Sam Fisher

Project Lead

Adarsh Raju

Software Lead

David Lepage

Electrical Lead

Alex Rhead

Mechanical Lead

Ready to Join?

No experience is required, we'll teach you what you need to know. New members start by joining a subteam, learning the basics, and contributing to ongoing builds.

Come to a meeting, talk to a lead, or join our communication channels to get started.