Two Indian student teams from New Delhi and Mumbai have earned accolades from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for their performance in the Human Exploration Rover Challenge. The KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, emerged victorious in the ‘Crash and Burn’ category, while the Kanakia International School, Mumbai, was awarded the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honor. The announcement was made by NASA on Monday. More than 600 students from 72 teams across the globe participated in this year’s HERC, marking its 30th anniversary as a NASA challenge. The Parish Episcopal School from Dallas, USA, secured first place in the high school division, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville won the college/university title. Held on April 19 and 20 at the US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Centre, the annual engineering competition drew participation from 42 colleges and universities and 30 high schools from 24 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 13 other countries, including India. The teams showcased their designs while navigating a half-mile obstacle course, completing mission-specific tasks, and undergoing safety and design reviews by NASA engineers. Vemitra Alexander, HERC activity lead for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, emphasized the importance of this challenge in fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers, encouraging them to innovate and contribute to future space missions. NASA considers the HERC as one of eight Artemis Student Challenges, aligned with the Artemis program’s goal of landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establishing a sustainable presence for exploration and scientific research.
Indian Students Shine at NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge
