Dominican students win awards at NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge

Huntsville, Alabama.- The AstroBosco team from the Don Bosco Salesian Technical Institute made a remarkable debut at NASA’s 2025 Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC), held April 10–12 in Huntsville, Alabama. Competing for the first time in the High School Division’s Remote Control (RC) category, the Dominican team took home two prestigious awards: Social Media and STEM Engagement.

These awards recognized the team’s effective use of social media to showcase their work and their dedication to promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among young people. Their success places Dominican public-school students on the international stage of scientific innovation.

Organized by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, HERC invites students to design, build, and test vehicles simulating those used in space missions, encouraging teamwork and STEM excellence. AstroBosco’s achievement highlights the growing impact of robotics education in the Dominican Republic and affirms the Ministry of Education’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to STEM programs nationwide.