The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) is a nine-month engineering design challenge run by NASA's Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall Space Flight Center. Teams of middle school, high school, and college students design, build, and test a rover capable of traversing a simulated lunar terrain course — working through the same engineering design lifecycle NASA uses for real missions.
Two rover divisions:
| Division | Description |
|---|---|
| Human-Powered (HP) | A two-person crew-operated rover; students must ride and maneuver it through the course |
| Remote-Controlled (RC) | A remotely operated rover navigated through the obstacle course |
The nine-month lifecycle:
Teams accepted into the program work through a structured set of milestones:
- Proposal (due September): Teams submit a design concept, budget, safety plan, and funding sources for NASA review. Selection is competitive.
- Design Review (DR) (November–December): Teams submit written reports and present virtually to NASA engineers.
- Operational Readiness Review (ORR) (February–March): Teams submit updated reports, rover photos, and present virtually to confirm readiness for the event.
- Culminating Event (April, Huntsville AL): Teams bring their rovers to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and compete on a simulated lunar terrain course alongside teams from around the world.
2026–2027 key dates:
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Proposal deadline | September 17, 2026 |
| Teams selected | October 8, 2026 |
| Design Review presentations | November 30 – December 18, 2026 |
| ORR presentations | March 1–19, 2027 |
| Culminating event | April 22–24, 2027 |
Costs:
The checked NASA page, 2027 handbook and timeline do not explicitly confirm a no-entry-fee policy. The handbook makes teams responsible for transportation to and from the event; teams also need project resources, equipment and travel arrangements. The prior catalog’s zero-entry-fee claim was not reverified.
Alignment:
HERC aligns with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Career and Technical Education (CTE) frameworks in Advanced Manufacturing, Robotics, and Digital Technology, and ABET criteria for engineering programs. NASA provides a detailed handbook, webinars, and virtual design review feedback to support all participating teams.
2027 entry and team conditions: The proposal deadline was September 17, 2026 at 8 a.m. CT. The linked Box page now says it is unavailable or no longer accepting submissions, although the main page retains an open-period sentence. No new proposal window is announced. The August 13 handbook release is not the beginning of attendance. Selected teams’ reports and readiness work are separate from the April 22–24 in-person final.
The current handbook requires middle-school competitors to be ages 11–14 and high-school competitors 14–19 at proposal submission; college competitors must be undergraduates. An institution-employed advisor aged 21 or older is required. Student work must satisfy the handbook’s no-AI rule. Human-powered teams use two student pilots, including at least one female. These current conditions are distinct from generic worldwide school eligibility.
Checked November 4, 2026 against the NASA overview, 2027 handbook, tentative deliverable timeline and proposal form. Deliverables are due at 8 a.m. CT, and dates remain subject to change.