Our Journey

Moon Miners is a student-led engineering team developing autonomous robotic systems for lunar excavation. By combining robotics, systems engineering, and innovation, we are preparing the technologies needed for humanity's next steps on the Moon.

The Origin

More than a student organization: a professional-grade integration of engineering, design, and business specialized for the lunar frontier.

The test arena being built at the Robotics Innovation Center
Moon Miners with their award in front of the NASA globe at Kennedy Space Center

The Challenge

Founded in 2025, CMU Moon Miners went from a blank whiteboard to the national stage in a single season. Now we're back with hard-won experience, a proven playbook, and a new rover in the works — not as a class project, not as a research demo, but to win the NASA Lunabotics Competition outright.

Meet the team

System Status

Engineered to Lead

Solving the extreme constraints of the lunar environment through rigorous design, simulation, and rapid prototyping.

ATLAS

NASA Lunabotics 2026 · Mined lunar soil autonomously

DesignedBuiltCompeted

Excavation

Regolith excavation and transport tooling engineered for lunar soil simulant.

Autonomy Stack

Coordinated navigation, perception, and decision-making with no human in the loop.

LiDAR Mapping

3D terrain reconstruction and point-cloud rendering of the excavation arena.

Mobility

Tracked drivetrain and structures built to traverse cratered, dusty terrain.

Won Best Presentations and Demonstrations as a novice team

The only first-year team to ever produce an autonomous system.

2027

ATLAS's successor is already on the whiteboard. New rover — and a new name — incoming.

Operational Milestones

2026-2027 milestones

Moon Miners founded

Sep 2025

Lunabotics 2026 Competition

May 2026

Preliminary Design Review

Nov 2026

Announcement of Selection for Lunabotics 2027

Dec 2026

Critical Design Review

Dec 2026

The Challenge

May 2027 · Kennedy Space Center