NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) is an international engineering competition in which student teams design, build, and drive human-powered rovers over a simulated lunar, Martian, or other extraterrestrial terrain course. The event is organized by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and typically takes place each spring at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Teams are evaluated on rover performance, course completion, time, safety, weight, and a mission-focused project that ties into NASA's human exploration objectives. HERC includes both high school and college divisions, with teams generally composed of students and a faculty or adult advisor. Participants gain hands-on experience in mechanical design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, and systems engineering, as well as teamwork, project management, and problem-solving under real constraints. The challenge offers a strong portfolio-building opportunity for students interested in engineering, robotics, and space exploration, and connects them with NASA professionals and other STEM-focused peers from around the world.