Glen Ellyn, Ill. — Students from College of DuPage (COD) recently participated in the prestigious NASA Lunabotics Challenge, held from May 15 to May 18 at the Florida Space Institute’s Exolith Lab at the University of Central Florida.
This challenge brings together university teams across the nation to develop and deploy robots designed to utilize lunar regolith in a simulated lunar environment.
Outstanding Achievement for COD Team
On June 16, COD proudly announced that their team — the only community college represented out of 34 teams — achieved several impressive results.
- Third place in the Systems Engineering Paper competition.
- An honorable mention in Robot Autonomy.
- Fourth place in Berm Construction, which earned the team a spot at the Kennedy Space Center for further competition.
Additionally, Dr. Eric Meloche from COD was awarded the 2025 NASA Artemis Educator Award, which honors educators and mentors who dedicate significant time to supporting students’ learning and development.
NASA Artemis Program and the Lunabotics Challenge
The NASA Lunabotics Challenge is an annual competition designed to push the boundaries of robotics in a lunar context. Teams from universities develop robots that can operate on the Moon’s surface, specifically using lunar regolith (the Moon’s soil).
The challenge is part of NASA’s ARTEMIS program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and lay the foundation for future space exploration.
The top ten scoring teams are invited to compete at the Artemis Arena at Kennedy Space Center, where they can showcase their innovations and compete in front of NASA officials.
Looking Ahead
The final results from the NASA Lunabotics Challenge will be announced in August, but COD’s team has already made an impressive mark. Their achievements highlight the dedication of both students and faculty in advancing space exploration technologies.
Dr. Meloche’s recognition is a testament to the incredible mentoring that takes place at College of DuPage, which plays a crucial role in fostering the next generation of engineers, scientists, and innovators.
