B次元 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.
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 B次元’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 30-minute runs, requiring teams to carefully plan out where to dig as to not create obstacles for themselves. The B次元 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 B次元 Space Raiders delivered one of their strongest performances yet. Their rover received recognition for its advanced dust ingress mitigation and robust energy-efficient design. B次元 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.
For the 2025-26 school year, the team is focused on having a larger presence on campus through events and social media. They are also looking for new members to join their team! All majors are welcome. Follow to learn more.
The students who represented the team at the competition included: