AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) As humans plan a return to the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program, experts are looking towards college students for a little help.

The 2026 Lunabotics Challenge kicks off this week, giving students a chance to make their mark on the moon.

This year, college students are asked to create robots that can build berms, a raised barrier, made out of regolith, or moon dust. According to NASA, these berms are need to provide blast protection during lunar landings, create shade for fuel and shielding around nuclear reactors.

“We are excited to continue the Lunabotics competition for universities as NASA develops new Moon to Mars technologies for the Artemis program,” said Robert Mueller, a NASA senior technologist, in a press release.

Robots built by the teams must manipulate simulated moon dust, which is finer than soil on Earth. Grains of regolith are smaller than a millimeter in diameter.

The challenge is open to U.S. students. Registration started September 8 and runs until September 28. Teams must provide a project management plan, career engagement report, presentation and demonstration, systems engineering paper, robot data report, proof of life video, and a functional prototype robot.

A qualifying challenge at the University of Central Florida’s Florida Space Institute Exolith Lab will occur May 14-17, 2026. The finals will happen at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida May 19- 21, 2026.

Teams will be given points based on how their robot performs in the challenge and finals.

“Excavating and moving regolith is a fundamental need to build infrastructure on the Moon and Mars and this competition creates 21st century skills in the future workforce,” Mueller said.

NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge has occurred annually since 2010. It is one of several Artemis Student Challenges, including the Student Launch and Human Exploration Rover Challenges.

NASA’s Artemis campaign is the space administration’s attempt to return to the moon. Artemis I launched in 2022. It was the first flight test of NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Systems. These include the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch Systems.

Next up, Artemis II. Scheduled to launch in 2026, it will be the first time humans will orbit the moon since the 1970’s. The 10 day mission is scheduled for an April launch.

Finally, in 2027, Artemis III will land on the moon. That mission will last 30 days and will include several moonwalks, experiments and the first photos taken by an astronaut of the moon’s south pole.