The Open University Start a team

Build a robot that builds on the Moon.

Four UK student teams brought lunar construction rovers to the Moon Yard at The Open University in 2026.
2027 is your turn.
Free to enter, no experience needed.

Start a team How to apply

Applications close Friday 30 October 2026, 23:59 UK time

0days 00hrs 00min 00sec
Moon Yard, The Open University, July 2026
QPL team members gathered around their rover in the pit area

2026 champions

QPL · Queen's University Belfast Crossed the Moon Yard, dug and deposited regolith

Seven teams started.
Four reached the Moon Yard.

UK Lunabotics ran for the first time in 2026. These are the teams that brought rovers to the competition at The Open University, Milton Keynes.

The QPL team and their rover in front of an inflatable Moon at The Open University

QPL Queen's University Belfast · 2026 champions

After nine months of work, QPL's rover crossed the Moon Yard and both dug and deposited regolith, which made them overall winners. They shipped the rover from Belfast to Milton Keynes and back, and go on as the UK entry to the international competition in the USA.

Newcastle Lunabotics team with their rover in front of the inflatable Moon

Newcastle Lunabotics Newcastle University

A brand-new team that started from zero. They designed, wired and coded their whole electrical and software system and got the rover moving in the pit. When the drivetrain failed, they ran a mini 3D printer overnight in their hotel room to make new parts.

University of Leicester Innova UoL team with rover INNEX-1 in front of the inflatable Moon

Innova UoL University of Leicester

Months of design, manufacturing and late-night testing took their rover, INNEX-1, from CAD models to a working machine.

Project MarsWorks team with their rover in front of the inflatable Moon

Project MarsWorks University of Sheffield

A team of 12 whose custom excavator system worked in competition. They're using it as the foundation for next year.

  • Two QPL team members grinning, arm in arm, at the competition

    Run done

  • Two students in UK Lunabotics shirts wiring a rover

    Pit repairs

  • A rover beside a bucket of sand used as regolith

    Regolith

Cross. Dig. Build a berm.

A berm is a raised bank of regolith. On the Moon, berms could protect astronauts, habitats and equipment from the rock and dust blasted out when spacecraft land and take off, and give shielding from radiation and heat.

  1. Cross the obstacle zone, by remote control or autonomously.
  2. Dig regolith in the excavation zone.
  3. Build a berm inside the 1.5 m × 0.9 m target. Bigger berms protect more.
Plan of the 7.9 m by 4.4 m Moon Yard: a start zone and construction zone on the left, an obstacle zone with boulders and craters in the middle, and an excavation zone on the right. The rover crosses the obstacles, digs in the excavation zone and returns to build a berm in the target area. 1 2 3 Start Construction Obstacles Excavation 7.9 m 4.4 m
Layout from the draft 2027 rulebook. Obstacles move between runs, and the final layout may change.
Students at laptops in Mission Control, with arena camera feeds on a large screen
Mission Control Arena cameras on the big screen

Drive by camera, or let it drive itself.

During each run your team works from Mission Control. You can drive using the arena cameras provided, or choose not to use them and rely on your rover's own sensors and on-board systems. Going autonomous earns extra points.

What you'll learn

Over the 2026/27 academic year your team designs, builds and tests the rover, working through the same review stages NASA uses: System Requirements, Preliminary Design and Critical Design Reviews. It's real engineering, and a lot more besides.

Engineering

  • Mechanical designA chassis, drivetrain and digging system that can cope with sand, boulders and craters.
  • Electronics and powerWiring, batteries, an emergency stop, and measuring the energy your rover uses.
  • Machine vision and autonomySensors and cameras that detect obstacles, map the arena and plan a route.
  • Hands-on buildingFabrication, 3D printing, wiring and testing, from CAD to a machine that runs.

Beyond engineering

  • Coordinating moving partsKeeping a schedule, a budget and a dozen people's work pointing at the same deadline.
  • Raising moneyPitching to sponsors and your university to fund parts, travel and shipping.
  • Problem-solving under pressureFixing what breaks in the pit, sometimes overnight.
  • Presenting your workWriting your plan and explaining your design and teamwork to judges.
  • Public engagementSharing your project with schools, sponsors and the public, and inspiring the next team.
A rover on a weighing scale during inspection, the display reading its mass
Weigh-in Every rover is inspected before it runs

How teams are judged

  • Berm volumeHow much regolith your rover builds in the target area.
  • Camera useHow few arena cameras you need to drive.
  • AutonomyTasks your rover completes on its own.
  • Technical presentationShowing the judges your design and how your team worked.

Full details are in the 2027 Rulebook (draft, PDF). Final rules to follow.

Key dates, 2026/27

The full timeline is in the 2027 overview (PDF).

  2. Places announced
  3. Information day

    At The Open University, or join remotely.

  4. Design reviews

    Your team runs its own, with feedback from organisers and industry.

  5. Proof of Life video

    Show your rover can be operated and that its safety functions, like the emergency stop, work.

  6. UK Lunabotics Competition

    The Moon Yard, The Open University, Milton Keynes.

No team yet? Start with a lecturer.

Newcastle started from zero in 2026 and still got their rover moving at the competition. Every team needs an Academic Supervisor, so that's the first person to ask.

  1. This week Ask a lecturer to be your Academic Supervisor

    A member of staff at your institution, 21 or over, who supports the team through the year, signs your Statement of Support and attends the whole competition (6–8 July 2027). Show them the 2027 overview (PDF).

  2. This week Start recruiting your team

    Teams need at least two undergraduate or further education students. There's no maximum, but only around 10 per team can attend the event.

  3. Before 30 Oct Write your Project Management Plan

    Up to 5 pages: your first take on how you'd tackle the challenge and what might get in the way. It's a starting plan, and it will evolve as your design does.

Apply by 30 October 2026, 23:59 UK time.

Once you have a supervisor, they or your team lead email two PDFs to uklunabotics@open.ac.uk. We'll reply to confirm we've received your application.

Email your application
  1. Statement of Support From your Academic Supervisor, on institution letterhead, signed by the supervisor and core team members.
  2. Project Management Plan Max. 5 pages: initial schedule, cost budget, technical objectives and Technical Performance Measures (the measurable targets that show your rover meets them).

There's no fixed number of places at this stage; if there are more good applications than places, they're offered in order of how well each Project Management Plan scores. The template statement, file naming and full requirements are in the 2027 overview (PDF).

Finances

Entry is free. Your team pays for the rover, travel, accommodation and shipping the rover, so make sure these costs are considered in your PMP. Most teams raise and spend around £4,000–£10,000 in their first year, covering the rover build and attending the competition. In 2026, teams raised money from company sponsors and their universities.

Who can enter

  • Students at a UK university or further/higher education college in 2026/27, including degree apprentices
  • At least two undergraduate or further education students; postgraduates welcome too
  • An Academic Supervisor: staff at your institution, 21 or over, who attends the whole event
  • Everyone 18 or over before any on-site event
  • Teams from more than one institution are welcome

Documents

Questions at any stage? Email us; no question is too basic. Teams from the US competition also run a Lunabotics Discord and welcome UK students.