Challenge Objectives
Build an operational, autonomous rover. Navigate the lunar surface taking care of hazards and obstacles. Extract resources by collecting lunar regolith. Successfully return the rover to base.
Take part in UK Lunabotics 2026
Design, build and operate your rover in a simulated lunar environment — hosted at the UKs first lunar rover challenge. Open to students!
- Date: Summer 2026
- Location: The Open University, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes, UK
About the challenge
UK Lunabotics brings together teams to design, build and operate autonomous rover platforms across a set of challenges related to the construction of lunar habitats in a simulated lunar environment. Based on a US-based competition backed by NASA!
Who can enter?
The challenge is designed for university and FE college students with support from their respective departments. Register today!
Why compete?
Gain hands-on engineering experience, backing from industry partners, and the chance to develop skills relevant to the ever growing space economy.
Thinking of Setting Up a Team?
Taking part in the UK Lunabotics competition is a great way to develop system engineering, design, test, communication skills, in a fun and supportive environment.
Teams from the US Lunabotics competition have set up a Discord for sharing knowledge, and welcome anyone looking to take part in the UK competition to join in the conversation.
Documents for Setting up a Team:
Event Schedule
Registration officially opens.
Registration deadline - send your Statement of Support and Project Management Plan to uklunabotics@open.ac.uk.
Confirmation of Registration.
UK Lunabotics team checkin with registered teams.
"Proof of Life" video of rover operations due.
UK Lunabotics Competition at The Open University, Milton Keynes.
Testimonials
"[Lunabotics] was a great way to amass technical and leadership experience and really helped me to figure out what I liked about engineering on my own time..." Valerie York, 2024 Purdue Lunabotics
Registered Teams
Keep an eye on here!
Register your interest!
Fill in the registration form below.
For more information, email uklunabotics@open.ac.uk.