NASA's 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge Awards Ceremony

0:13 Okay.

0:16 I'm not sure.

9:58 Oh.

13:20 Good evening.

13:25 [cheering]

13:24 I think good evening.

13:27 We need some energy in here.

13:29 Y'all have had a wonderful day.

13:31 Are y'all glad to be here?

13:34 [cheering and applause]

13:36 Welcome to NASA's 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge Awards Ceremony.

13:42 My name is Lance D.

13:44 Davis.

13:44 I'm the Public Affairs and News Chief for NASA's

13:47 Marshall Space Flight Center right here in Huntsville, Alabama.

13:51 And I'm so honored to be your MC for the evening.

13:54 So, please join me in welcoming Dr.

13:57 VeMetra Alexander to the stage.

14:00 Let's give her a ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

14:04 [applause] [applause]

14:10 WOW, I WAS JUST TELLING LANCE I'm scared to come behind him.

14:13 Wow, that was awesome, Lance.

14:15 So, again, good evening to everyone and welcome

14:18 to the 2026 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge Awards Ceremony.

14:26 I can't get a round of applause?

14:27 Oh.

14:31 Thank you.

14:31 Thank you.

14:32 Thank you.

14:32 Thank you.

14:32 Thank you.

14:32 Thank you.

14:33 We are absolutely thrilled to have our teams,

14:37 mentors, sponsors, families, partners,

14:40 and guests here with us tonight as we celebrate the hard work,

14:45 the resilience, and creativity that have defined this year's competition.

14:50 To our students, tonight is about you.

14:54 You have designed, built, tested, rebuilt in some cases,

15:00 and pushed yourselves in ways that reflect the spirit of NASA engineering.

15:06 The perseverance shown from milestone reviews to those last-minute

15:12 fixes in the pit is exactly what exploration requires.

15:17 You should all be incredibly proud of what you have accomplished this season.

15:25 [applause] [applause] To our mentors and advisers, thank you.

15:35 Thank you.

15:36 Thank you.

15:37 Thank you for walking alongside these students.

15:40 Your guidance, encouragement,

15:41 and belief in their potential make all the difference

15:45 in shaping the next generation of innovators and explorers.

15:52 [applause] [applause]

15:57 And to our lovely sponsors and partners,

15:59 your support make this entire experience possible.

16:04 You help fuel the curiosity, the confidence,

16:07 and capability of hundreds of students every year.

16:12 Workforce development is at the heart of what we do,

16:15 and your commitment ensures these students are building

16:19 the real skills needed to strengthen tomorrow's STEM workforce.

16:25 So, tonight we recognize not only achievements on this course,

16:29 but also teamwork, creativity, safety, communication,

16:35 ingenuity, and the spirit of discovery.

16:38 Every team has contributed to something meaningful

16:42 to this challenge and to our shared mission and vision.

16:47 So, thank you.

16:48 Thank all of you for making HERK 2026 such an extraordinary experience.

16:54 So, let's celebrate these outstanding students,

16:57 honor their achievements and accomplishments,

17:00 and enjoy this special night together.

17:05 [applause] All right, thank you, VeMetra.

17:22 So, now we will have um

17:26 [sighs and gasps] Mr.

17:27 Jason Adam, acting manager of Human Exploration Development

17:32 Operations Office to come and give us some remarks.

17:37 Let's give him a hand.

17:40 [applause] All right, thank you, Lance.

17:50 On behalf of NASA and Marshall Space Flight Center,

17:53 I am honored to celebrate NASA's 32nd

17:56 Human Exploration Rover Challenge with all of you.

17:59 This competition represents a journey of innovation,

18:02 perseverance, and discovery.

18:05 And it is a privilege to stand

18:06 before such an impressive group of future engineers,

18:09 scientists, innovators, and explorers.

18:13 I want to congratulate all the students

18:15 who participated in this year's challenge.

18:17 Your dedication, creativity,

18:19 and commitment to excellence have truly been inspiring.

18:24 From designing and building your rovers to navigating the rigorous course,

18:28 you demonstrated ingenuity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that are

18:34 essential to the future of space exploration.

18:40 I also want to recognize the teachers, mentors,

18:43 and supporters who guided these teams along the way.

18:47 Your investment in these students is

18:49 shaping the next generation of STEM leaders,

18:52 and we are deeply grateful for your dedication to their success.

18:57 And thank you to everyone at NASA, Marshall, and the U.S.

19:01 Space and Rocket Center,

19:02 and our sponsors for making this challenge possible year after year.

19:07 Let's give him a round of applause.

19:11 [applause]

19:16 This is an exciting time.

19:18 We are living in a new golden age of innovation and exploration.

19:23 NASA, as you all know, recently achieved a major milestone with the successful

19:27 mission and splashdown of Artemis II.

19:31 Here.

19:33 [applause]

19:36 I think a lot of you saw it, I'm sure.

19:39 With Artemis II, we've taken a major step towards building a sustained human

19:43 presence on the moon and laying the groundwork for future exploration to Mars.

19:49 NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover,

19:53 uh Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

19:59 [laughter] [cheering] [applause]

20:02 They made history on this mission with a 7-hour lunar flyby,

20:06 surpassing the record for human spaceflight's farthest distance

20:10 set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970,

20:14 and capturing new views of the moon's far side.

20:20 [applause] [applause]

20:25 Through Artemis, NASA will take on increasingly complex missions,

20:28 driving scientific discoveries,

20:31 expanding economic opportunity,

20:33 and building the foundation for the human exploration of Mars.

20:37 At Marshall, our teams play a critical role in the Artemis campaign,

20:41 leading the development, integration, and operation of the Space Launch System,

20:46 the only rocket that can send the Orion spacecraft, astronauts,

20:50 and cargo directly to the moon in a single launch.

20:54 The work happening across NASA and right here at Marshall mirrors

20:57 exactly what I what we've seen from all of you this weekend,

21:01 solving tough problems, working as a team,

21:05 and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

21:08 Watching you all tackle obstacles with creativity, resilience,

21:12 and determination make it clear that the future

21:15 of our industry is in very, very good hands.

21:19 I hope one day many of you will join us

21:21 at NASA to help push human exploration farther than ever before,

21:27 to the moon, Mars, and beyond.

21:29 Congratulations again on all that you've accomplished.

21:33 Thank you.

21:34 [applause] [applause] All right, and thank you, Jason, for those great remarks.

21:52 So, to all the students here, there are many people who are rooting

21:56 for you and looking forward to your future success.

21:59 Their support of Herc is based on their support of you.

22:03 And you all are the Artemis generation.

22:06 So, I like to recognize the professionals who spend countless

22:11 hours all year long making sure that Herc is a success.

22:16 Members of the Herc implementation team, please stand as I call your name.

22:22 [clears throat] Chris Jeran, our technical coordinator.

22:27 [applause] Allison Chounard, our logistics coordinator.

22:34 [applause]

22:37 John Eckart, our technical support.

22:40 [applause]

22:43 Amanda Dobbs, our logistical support.

22:48 [applause]

22:49 And we have a few others.

22:50 Um Allison Smith, she's not here.

22:52 She was our volunteer coordinator.

22:54 And Zack Cook, who was our safety um engineer.

22:57 And I would be remiss if I didn't recognize my leader, Mr.

23:01 Kevin McGall.

23:05 [applause]

23:09 Now, we'll take a moment to recognize and thank our many sponsors.

23:14 Their continued support make this event possible.

23:18 So, a very, very special thank you to the NASA Office of STEM Engagement,

23:24 [applause]

23:28 Marshall Space Flight Center,

23:31 [applause]

23:36 ESDMD, which is the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate,

23:42 [applause] the U.S.

23:45 Space and Rocket Center,

23:48 [applause]

23:51 the National Space Club of Huntsville, [applause]

23:59 Amentum,

24:00 [applause]

24:02 COPT, which is the Corporate I'm sorry.

24:05 Corporate Office Property Trust.

24:07 I'm so sorry.

24:10 [applause]

24:12 Redstone Federal Credit Union,

24:15 [applause]

24:18 Teledyne Brown Engineering,

24:21 [applause]

24:23 National Defense Industrial Association,

24:27 [applause] and Coca-Cola of Huntsville.

24:33 [applause]

24:42 All right, thank you, Dr.

24:43 Alexander, and an additional thank you to our Herc implementation team,

24:49 along with all our sponsors and partners.

24:52 It is now my esteemed pleasure to announce

24:55 the award winners for the 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge.

25:00 We ask that the winning teams please stand where you are as you are announced.

25:06 You will be notified if we need you to come up to the stage,

25:10 so please listen carefully.

25:14 The Featherweight Award award is presented

25:18 to one team across all Herc human-powered divisions.

25:23 Mass management is critical in space exploration.

25:27 This award is uh presented to the team that best

25:31 addressed all the ongoing space exploration challenge of weight management,

25:36 delivering an innovative approach to safe minimization of rover weight.

25:42 The winner of the 2026 Featherweight Award is Campbell University.

25:49 Let's give them a round of applause.

25:57 [applause] All right, the next award, the Pit Crew Award,

26:07 is presented to the top middle or high school

26:11 and top college or university teams demonstrating extraordinary creativity,

26:17 enthusiasm, and team spirit during repairs of their rover.

26:21 The NASA Pit Crew team votes to determine the award recipients.

26:26 Each team will receive a $250 cash prize.

26:31 It is awarded to one team in each division.

26:34 We invite the student leader of each winning team for the Pit

26:37 Crew Award to join us on stage when your team is announced.

26:42 The winner of the 2026 Pit Crew Award

26:45 in the middle/high school division is Erie High School.

26:53 [applause and cheering] [applause] [applause and cheering] [applause]

27:39 All right, congratulations.

27:40 All right, the winner of the 2026 Pit

27:43 Crew Award in the college/university division is Campbell University.

27:51 [applause] Come on up, team leader.

28:00 [applause] Let's give Campbell another round of applause.

28:16 [applause and cheering] Safety is paramount in all NASA activities.

28:28 The Safety Award recognizes a team in each grade level division who

28:33 best demonstrates a comprehensive approach to safety

28:37 as it relates to their vehicle,

28:39 to their personnel, and to operations.

28:42 The winner of the 2026 Safety Award

28:45 in the middle/high school division is Parish Episcopal School.

28:52 Please stand.

28:54 [applause] [applause]

29:04 Let's give them another round of applause.

29:09 [applause] All right, the winner of the 2026 Safety Award

29:14 in the college/university division is University of Central Missouri.

29:22 [applause and cheering] [applause] One more round of applause.

29:40 [applause]

29:42 The Most Improved Performance Award is sponsored by Amentum.

29:47 Each winner will receive a $500 prize.

29:51 Please welcome Jenna and Byron, representatives from Amentum,

29:56 to the stage to present this award.

30:01 [applause] For this category, we ask the student leader of each winning

30:08 team to please come to the stage when your team is announced.

30:13 The winner of the most improved performance award

30:16 in the human-powered high school division is Kealakehe High School.

30:24 [applause and cheering] [applause]

30:51 Another round of applause.

30:54 [applause]

31:09 All right.

31:11 [applause]

31:13 The winner for the most improved performance award in the human-powered

31:16 college/university division is the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

31:24 [applause and cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause]

31:52 One more round of applause.

31:56 [applause]

32:00 The winner of the most improved performance award

32:02 in the remote-controlled middle/high school division is Gould Academy.

32:10 [applause] [applause] [applause] Watch your step now.

32:38 All right.

32:39 The winner of the most improved performance award

32:42 in the remote-controlled college/university division is Campbell University.

32:51 [applause] [applause]

33:10 Congratulations.

33:13 Another round of applause.

33:16 [applause]

33:30 One more time.

33:33 [applause] The infamous crash and burn award

33:43 is awarded by American Institute of Aeronautics

33:47 and Astronautics and the Society for Space Exploration to only one team.

33:54 Please welcome Tom Hancock and Anne Low- Alan,

33:58 excuse me, Alan Lowry to present this award.

34:03 [applause] [applause]

34:10 Contrary to its name, it does not celebrate failure.

34:13 It celebrates agility, flexibility,

34:16 and what we can learn and improve to be successful later.

34:21 We invite the student team leader for the crash

34:24 and burn award to the stage when your team is announced.

34:27 The winner of the 2026 crash and burn

34:31 award is the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

34:38 [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] One more time.

35:23 [applause]

35:32 The team spirit award is presented to one team as voted on by their peers.

35:38 Selected by participants here today, this team best exemplifies dedication,

35:45 a positive attitude, and outstanding teamwork throughout the on-site events.

35:50 For this special recognition,

35:52 we invite the winning team in its entirety to join us on stage.

35:57 The winner of this year's team spirit

36:00 award is Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.

36:30 [applause and cheering]

36:44 Let's give them another round of applause,

36:45 although they have all energy on the stage.

36:50 [applause] [laughter]

37:07 Huh?

37:05 I know, right?

37:06 Y'all Y'all have it.

37:27 [cheering] [applause] [cheering] Wait a minute.

37:38 Wait a minute, team.

37:39 Wait.

37:40 Your photographer Wait.

37:41 Wait.

37:41 Wait.

37:42 Wait.

37:42 Wait.

37:43 You got to get your picture.

37:46 He's getting a different side.

37:47 Get tight.

37:48 Let's have that same team spirit.

37:50 Get close.

37:53 [laughter]

37:55 Y'all focus right there.

38:03 You got it.

38:05 Let's give them a hand.

38:06 Congratulations.

38:09 [applause] [applause] All right.

38:21 Our next award is the social media award.

38:26 We're going to ask you to stand.

38:28 Um this award is presented to one team from each division.

38:32 The social media award highlights the importance of communication.

38:36 Social media platforms allow students to share progress

38:39 with NASA and inform and educate the public,

38:42 engage others interested in STEM topics, and inspire the next generation.

38:47 This year's social media award winner in the human-powered

38:50 high school division is Albertville Innovation Academy.

38:58 [applause]

39:00 Stand up.

39:01 Stand up.

39:03 [applause]

39:20 All right.

39:20 The 2026 social media award winner in the human-powered

39:25 college/university division is Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.

39:35 [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [screaming] [screaming] Yes, indeed.

40:04 All right.

40:06 One more time for the for for them.

40:13 [applause]

40:15 All right, the social media war winner in the award winner, excuse me, y'all,

40:19 in the remote control middle school {slash} high

40:22 school division is Space and Engineering TECHNOLOGIES ACADEMY.

40:28 [applause and cheering] [applause]

40:39 ONE MORE TIME FOR THEM.

40:42 [cheering] [applause] [applause] OUR NEXT SOCIAL MEDIA WAR winner in the remote

40:52 control college {slash} university division is Atlas Skill Tech University.

41:01 [applause]

41:06 We see you in the back.

41:09 [applause]

41:14 One more time.

41:17 [applause]

41:24 The Community STEM Engagement Award is presented to one team in East division

41:29 that has demonstrated outstanding success in engaging

41:33 and educating students and the public.

41:36 The 2026 Community STEM Engagement Award recipient in the human

41:40 powered high school division is Debbie Smith CTE Academy.

41:49 [applause] [applause]

42:01 Y'all still stand?

42:05 Let's give them one more [cheering] one more applause.

42:09 [applause]

42:11 All right, this year's Community STEM Engagement Award in the human

42:15 powered college {slash} university division

42:18 goes to Universidad Aeronáutica in Querétaro.

42:29 [cheering] [applause] [applause]

42:35 Stand up.

42:48 [applause]

42:53 LIKE, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT?

42:56 DID I SAY that right?

42:58 Okay.

43:01 [laughter]

43:01 All right, the 2026 Community STEM Engagement Award recipient in the remote

43:05 control middle {slash} high school division is Salmon High School.

43:12 [applause] [applause]

43:27 One more time for Salmon.

43:31 [applause]

43:35 This year's Community STEM Engagement Award winner in the remote

43:38 control college {slash} university division is Atlas Skill Tech University.

43:47 [applause]

43:58 One more time for them.

44:01 [applause] [applause]

44:06 This year HERC has implemented a new award to recognize a team in East

44:11 division that showed the most impactful engagement

44:14 with STEM related industry in their community.

44:18 STEM workforce development is the backbone of the aerospace industry.

44:23 The team selected for this award chose to partner with industry professionals

44:28 to help develop the skills needed to be successful in today's STEM workforce.

44:33 The 2026 Industry STEM Engagement Award recipient, excuse me,

44:37 in the human powered high school division is Erie High School.

44:43 [applause] [applause] Let's give them one more round of applause.

45:05 [applause]

45:09 This year's Industry STEM Engagement Award winner in the human

45:13 powered college university division is Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.

45:23 [cheering] [screaming] [applause] [cheering] One more time, one more time.

45:39 Let's give them a round of applause.

45:42 [applause] All right, the 2026 Industry STEM STEM Engagement Award winner

45:50 in the remote control middle {slash} high school division is Gould Academy.

45:58 [applause] [applause]

46:07 One more time.

46:11 [applause]

46:14 All right, the Project Review Award recognizes

46:18 excellence in the reports required throughout the year.

46:21 Winning teams display excellence in their milestone

46:24 review documentation all year long.

46:28 Teams identify and improve aspects of their plan from design

46:31 and construction to safety mitigation as well as budget and schedule management.

46:37 This award is presented to one team from each division.

46:40 This year's Project Review Award winner in the human

46:43 powered high school division is Parish Episcopal School.

46:50 [applause]

46:59 Congratulations.

47:00 One more round of applause for them.

47:03 [applause]

47:06 The winner of the Project Review Award in the human

47:08 powered college university division is University of Central Missouri.

47:17 [applause] [cheering]

47:23 One more time for the Show-Me States.

47:28 [applause]

47:31 The winner of the Project Review Award in the remote

47:34 control middle high school division is Soul Fam.

47:43 [cheering] [applause] [applause]

47:56 One more time for Soul Fam.

48:00 [applause]

48:03 The Project Review Award winner in the remote control

48:06 college university division is the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

48:14 [cheering] [applause]

48:23 One more time.

48:25 [applause]

48:29 All right, moving on to the next award.

48:31 The Phoenix Award recognizes teams that demonstrate the greatest

48:36 improvement from the design review of the operational readiness review.

48:42 The recognition is awarded to one team in each division.

48:46 The winner of the 2026 Phoenix Award in the human

48:49 powered high school division is Parish Episcopal School.

48:56 [applause]

49:04 One more time for Parish.

49:07 [applause]

49:10 The winner of the Phoenix Award in the human

49:12 powered college university division is Rhode Island School OF DESIGN.

49:20 [applause] WAY IN THE BACK, CONGRATULATIONS.

49:27 [applause] Let's give them one more round of applause.

49:42 [applause] The winner of the 2026 Phoenix Award in the remote

49:48 control middle school/high school division is Gould Academy.

49:56 [applause]

50:03 One more time for Gould Academy.

50:06 [applause] And the winner of the Phoenix Award in the remote controlled

50:15 college university division is the University of the District of Columbia.

50:24 [applause] [applause] [laughter]

50:38 That's all right.

50:39 One more time for DC.

50:42 [applause]

50:48 Our next award is the ingenuity award.

50:51 The ingenuity award is presented to the team

50:54 that has impressed NASA with exceptional creativity,

50:58 problem solving, and original thinking regardless of division.

51:03 This year's winner of the ingenuity award is Queen's University.

51:11 [applause] [cheering] [applause] One more time for Queen's University.

51:26 [applause] Our next award is a task challenge award.

51:34 Testing tools on Earth help improve processes for future Artemis missions.

51:39 The task challenge award is presented to the team in each

51:42 division that best demonstrates a design

51:46 capable of completing complex mission task.

51:49 This year's task challenge award for the human

51:52 powered high school division is Paris Episcopal School.

51:58 [applause and cheering] [applause] One more time for Paris.

52:16 [applause]

52:19 The task challenge award in the human powered college

52:22 university division goes to Rhode Island School of Design.

52:29 Let's give it up.

52:32 [applause] One more time for Rhode Island.

52:44 [applause] The 2026 task challenge award in the remote control

52:51 middle school high school division goes to Gould Academy.

52:58 [applause] [cheering] [applause] One more time for Gould, everyone.

53:08 [applause] All right, the task challenge award in the remote controlled

53:14 college university division goes to the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

53:22 [applause and cheering] All right, next up is the rookie of the year award.

53:39 This award goes to the top overall newcomer team.

53:43 The 2026 rookie of the year award is Gould Academy.

53:50 [applause] [applause] Let's give it up for Gould one more time.

54:03 [applause] All right, we're now moving into overall winners.

54:12 We will now We will now announce the third place, second place,

54:15 and overall winner for the 2026 challenge year in each division.

54:21 Please stand where you are to be recognized.

54:24 For the 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge remote control division,

54:30 in third place in the remote control middle school high school division,

54:34 that goes to Space and Engineering Technologies Academy.

54:40 [applause and cheering] [applause] One more time, let's give it up.

54:52 [applause] All right, our third place team in the remote

54:59 control college university division is Florida Excuse me,

55:04 Florida Atlantic University.

55:07 [applause] [applause] [cheering] One more time.

55:21 [applause] All right, our second place finisher in the remote

55:27 control middle school high school division is Soul Fam.

55:34 [cheering] [applause] One more time for Soul Fam.

55:49 [applause]

55:53 And in second place for the remote control college university division,

55:57 we have South Dakota State University.

56:03 [applause] Let's give it up.

56:11 [applause] One more time.

56:22 [applause] [applause]

56:28 And now it is my pleasure to announce the overall winner of the remote

56:32 control middle school high school division

56:35 for NASA's 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge.

56:40 Will the following team please come to the stage for special recognition?

56:45 Gould Academy.

56:49 [applause] Congratulations.

56:54 [applause] Congratulations.

57:00 High five.

57:01 High five.

57:03 [cheering and applause] High five.

57:05 There we go.

57:07 Let's give it up, y'all.

57:10 [applause] [cheering] [applause] One more time.

57:30 [applause] Congratulations.

57:36 It is also my pleasure to announce the winner of the remote

57:39 control college university division for NASA's

57:42 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge.

57:46 So, will the following team please take to the stage?

57:49 The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

57:54 [cheering] [applause] [applause] High five?

58:05 No?

58:06 Oh.

58:07 I totally got snubbed right there.

58:11 [applause and cheering] Good job, y'all.

58:36 All right, let's give it up.

58:40 [applause] All right, and now we move

58:46 on to the 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge powered division.

58:50 Please stand where you are to be recognized.

58:54 Our third place team in the human powered

58:56 high school division is Debbie Smith CTE Academy.

59:03 [cheering] [applause] Let's give it up for Debbie Smith.

59:22 [applause] [applause]

59:28 In third place in the human powered college university division,

59:32 we have the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

59:37 [applause and cheering] [cheering] [applause] One more time.

59:56 [applause and cheering] I got to be consistent.

59:59 Our second place finisher in the human-powered

1:00:01 high school division is Kealakehe High School.

1:00:10 [applause] One more time.

1:00:27 [applause] And our second place team in the human-powered

1:00:35 college university division is Rhode Island SCHOOL OF DESIGN.

1:00:43 [applause] [cheering] ONE MORE TIME FOR RHODE ISLAND.

1:00:59 [applause] And now I'm pleased to announce the winner of the human-powered

1:01:06 high school division for NASA's 2026 Human Exploration Rover Challenge.

1:01:11 We need the following team to please make your way to the stage.

1:01:17 Parish Episcopal School.

1:01:22 [cheering] [applause] Okay, don't leave me hanging.

1:01:31 [applause] There we go.

1:01:32 Oh, both of them.

1:01:33 I got you.

1:01:33 Okay.

1:01:34 Yeah.

1:01:42 We on beat.

1:01:45 Thank you.

1:01:49 Yes, sir.

1:01:50 Yes, sir.

1:01:55 [applause and cheering] [applause] [snorts] Cribs up.

1:02:09 Good job.

1:02:11 Selfie.

1:02:12 I was on Cribs.

1:02:16 [cheering] [applause] Congratulations.

1:02:20 One more time.

1:02:23 [applause] [applause]

1:02:29 All right, and finally it's time to announce our final award.

1:02:38 The winner of the human-powered college university

1:02:42 division for NASA's 2026 Exploration Rover Challenge.

1:02:50 Please join me in congratulating University of Central Missouri.

1:02:59 [cheering] [applause] [applause] Yeah.

1:03:25 Okay.

1:03:26 Okay.

1:03:28 It's like two rows also.

1:03:34 Let's give it up again as they get assembled.

1:03:37 Congratulations.

1:03:40 [applause] We've never done this before.

1:03:59 Yeah.

1:04:03 [laughter] All right, right here.

1:04:07 One more All right, one more time for University of Central Missouri.

1:04:17 [applause] Congratulations to all of our teams, and thank you for your support.

1:04:32 Let's give them all a hand.

1:04:38 [applause] [applause] It's certainly been my pleasure serving as your MC.

1:04:50 I'm so proud of each and every one of you.

1:04:53 This has been a wonderful, wonderful week.

1:04:56 Shout out to the Artemis 2 crew that splashed down safely

1:05:02 [applause and cheering] from their trip to the moon.

1:05:04 They inspire us cuz we do what we do here because of them.

1:05:08 So, we know that all of y'all are great and destined for wonderful things,

1:05:12 and I can't wait to see what is in store for y'all.

1:05:15 So, thank you so much.

1:05:18 So, now please join me in welcoming back Dr.

1:05:21 Mamie Alexander, who will close us out.

1:05:24 Good night.

1:05:27 [applause] Thank you.

1:05:32 Thank you.

1:05:33 Thank you.

1:05:34 Thank you.

1:05:35 Thank you, Lance.

1:05:36 I will not be before you long.

1:05:38 So, as we come to close the 2026

1:05:41 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge award ceremony,

1:05:45 I want to take a moment to reflect and witness what has happened tonight.

1:05:50 Even if you did not get an award, you are still a winner.

1:05:57 [applause] We're all champions here.

1:06:02 We are all champions.

1:06:03 To make it to Huntsville, that's a win.

1:06:07 So, great job, team.

1:06:08 Great job.

1:06:08 Great job.

1:06:11 [applause] To our students, every single one

1:06:18 of you has accomplished something extraordinary.

1:06:21 Whether you took home an award or not, you showed resilience.

1:06:25 You showed teamwork.

1:06:27 You showed imagination and grit.

1:06:30 You tackled real engineering challenges that mirror

1:06:33 work that's happening every day at NASA.

1:06:37 You all should walk out of here proud

1:06:39 of yourselves because we are incredibly proud of you.

1:06:42 To our mentors and educators, thank you.

1:06:46 Thank you.

1:06:47 Thank you.

1:06:53 [applause] Excuse me.

1:06:56 You have belief in these students,

1:06:58 light the path for the next generation of explorers.

1:07:02 Please, please be safe um as you travel.

1:07:04 We do have to get out of here by 6:15.

1:07:07 So, if you would like to take pictures at the stage,

1:07:09 you have a few minutes, but at 6:15, everybody should be out of the building.

1:07:14 Thank you.

1:07:15 Thank you.

1:07:15 Thank you.

1:07:18 [applause and cheering] Okay, thank you.

1:09:02 Thank you.

1:09:20 Aaron, up here.

1:09:20 Kay.

1:09:58 Six awards.

1:10:04 [laughter] It's already been a year.

1:10:17 I'm just trying to get off to the side ASAP.