Virginia State University Chosen As Only HBCU For 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge
The VSU Lunabotics team designed, built, and operated a robot capable of performing tasks on the lunar surface.
The VSU Lunabotics team designed, built, and operated a robot capable of performing tasks on the lunar surface.
Virginia State University is proud to recognize the Lunabotics Team from the College of Engineering and Technology for being the only Historically Black College or University to compete in the 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge. The VSU Lunabotics Team traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from May 20 to May 22 to participate in the prestigious competition.
The NASA Lunabotics Challenge is an intensive, two-semester systems engineering competition that encourages students to engage in robotics and space exploration by designing, constructing, and operating robots capable of navigating and performing tasks on a simulated lunar terrain.
"The team’s perseverance and collaborative spirit throughout this challenging competition reflect their readiness for real-world engineering challenges,” said Dr. Nasser Ghariban, Chair of the Department of Engineering and Faculty Advisor to the Lunabotics team. “Participating in this competitive NASA event provided invaluable hands-on experience that will significantly benefit their future careers in technology and exploration."
The VSU team, composed of 15 skilled students from Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering Technology programs, successfully designed and constructed a versatile robot that completed all the required tasks and activities in the competition.
"The strong finish by our Lunabotics team emphasizes their remarkable dedication, innovative thinking, and technical prowess,” said Dr. Dawit Haile, Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology. “Their success as the only HBCU team in the competition underscores VSU’s commitment to excellence in STEM education."
VSU is incredibly proud of these students for this remarkable achievement and for representing HBCUs nationwide with distinction. Their hard work and dedication elevated the University’s standing in advanced engineering disciplines and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to offering students transformative opportunities for excellence in engineering and computer science.