A team of students from Milwaukee School of Engineering competed in the NASA Lunabotics Competition hosted by NASA's Artemis Program at Kennedy Space Center
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN (July 21, 2025) — Campbell Brock from Port Byron, Illinois, and their fellow MSOE Space Raiders reached for the stars at the annual NASA Lunabotics Competition hosted by NASA's Artemis Program at Kennedy Space Center. The nationwide competition invites top university teams to design, build and operate autonomous lunar mining rovers that simulate real-world excavation tasks critical to establishing a sustained human presence on the moon.
Brock is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE).
The competition unfolds over two phases within a single week: A qualifying round at the University of Central Florida and Exolith Labs, followed by a final round at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where the top ten teams compete for top honors and national recognition.
In the qualifying round, the team's rover was required to pass inspection and then complete in three zones-obstacle, excavation, and construction. After facing hurdles and overcoming challenges with quick fixes, they earned tenth place out of 36 teams and advanced to the finals.
"We went into the competition with our goal being top ten. We knew the scores were close, but we had a chance," said Ruth Dobberpuhl, president of Space Raiders and mechanical engineering student. "The entire team was ecstatic when they announced MSOE's position, even other teams and judges were excited to hear our progress over previous years. Overall, we faced lots of setbacks during the competition, but we worked through them and reached our goal."
The finals at Kennedy Space Center challenged rovers to navigate a different type of simulant in thirty-minute runs, requiring teams to carefully plan out where to dig as to not create obstacles for themselves. The MSOE Space Raiders were recognized for having among the highest power efficiency in the competition and receiving the top score on their project management plan.
The team spent the entire academic year preparing for this competition. Not only is their final rover scored, but also several papers and other deliverables were completed throughout the year. They were proud of their performance at the qualifying round and final competition, with each member having their own favorite part. Many members enjoyed the social element of bonding with their teammates, and other members loved the insider view of NASA. Many members appreciated the unique experience of seeing other teams who worked equally as hard to create a viable product for the competition.
"Each team uniquely understands how difficult it can be to design for space, with each team member having put in numerous sleepless nights over unexpected problems frequently popping up," shared Dobberpuhl. "Due to this shared comradery between all the engineering students, everyone we were able to meet and talk to was very willing to share the problems they were able to overcome, resulting in everyone learning so much more than they could have on their own."
In the 2024-25 season, the MSOE Space Raiders delivered one of their strongest performances yet. Their rover received recognition for its advanced dust ingress mitigation and robust energy-efficient design. MSOE also received high marks in systems engineering and project management, a testament to the team's commitment to rigorous documentation, testing, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The season not only demonstrated the team's technical excellence but also reinforced their reputation as a leading force in student-led space innovation.
Follow MSOE Lunabotics' socials to learn more.
Milwaukee School of Engineering (www.msoe.edu) is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,900 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees in engineering, business, and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business- and industry-leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners, and value creators.
