NASA is challenging undergraduate and graduate student teams to design and build an excavator that could be used on the moon.

Design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a college or university affiliation. Teams must also include two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities may work in collaboration, and multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.

A university faculty advisor or student team may propose to receive up to $5,000 to support a student team. The team can use these funds to design and build a lunar regolith excavator. They may also use the money for travel expenses to compete in the Lunabotics Mining Competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 25-28, 2010.

Approved proposals will be funded on a first come, first served basis. Proposals must be received no later than Feb. 28, 2010.

For more information about the competition, visit http://www.nasa.gov/lunabotics .

Please e-mail any questions about this opportunity to Susan Sawyer at Susan.G.Sawyer@nasa.gov.