K-12 US students: Your challenge is to design a robot that can dig and move lunar soil (regolith) from one area of the lunar South Pole to a holding container near a future Artemis Moon base. As NASA prepares to return to the Moon, lunar regolith will be needed for multiple purposes, like building a moon base using lunar concrete; harvesting water that can also be used for rocket fuel; and extracting possible metals or minerals. NASA will need robots that can help! Please create at least one drawing of your robot’s design (e.g., original work of art, 3D model, diagram, or photo of a prototype, etc.) and a written summary that explains your robot’s design in 150 words or less.
Awards: Selected semifinalists will win a Lunabotics Junior prize pack; finalists will win a virtual session with a NASA subject matter expert; and one winner from each grade category will win a virtual chat with Kennedy Space Center Director, Janet Petro.
Open Date: October 20, 2021
Close Date: January 25, 2022
For more information, visit: https://www.futureengineers.org/lunaboticsjunior