ATLAS SkillTech University Latest News & Notifications 2025 ,Kurla West, Mumbai

ATLAS Students To Represent India In NASA Rover Challenge

Mar 10, 2025: ATLAS uGDX - School of Technology has made history by becoming the only university in India to secure a place in the 2025 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC). A team consisting of 15 students is all set to compete in the Remote-Controlled (RC) section of the challenge. There are only three teams worldwide competing in the Remote-Controlled division of the challenge. Among these three teams is the one from ATLAS uGDX - School of Technology. The team will represent our country at the United States Space and Rocket Centre, where they will design and build a remote-controlled rover that is capable of navigating complex terrains resembling environments on Mars or the Moon.

While competing, students are required to tackle several tasks, such as collecting scientific samples, navigating through narrow spaces, and overcoming obstacles. The obstacles will include rocks, craters, and steep inclines. Siddharth Shahani, the co-founder and executive president of ATLAS SkillTech University said “Our students’ selection for this prestigious challenge showcases their leadership, vision, and drive to push boundaries.” Further, he added, “This experience will not only shape their personal and professional growth but also serve as an inspiration for many others to pursue careers in STEM fields”.

While discussing the project’s impact, student team lead Anish Kumar Biradar, a first-year BTech student said, “Some of the most important things we learned were teamwork, time management, and the willingness to go beyond our expertise to learn something new. As BTech students, we are familiar with coding and AI, but this project allowed us to explore robotics and mechanics, while also applying the skills we are learning in classroom.”

The team has been provided access to resources, such as Makers Lab, 3D printing tools, and guidance from experienced faculty including their mentor professor, Shashikant Deepak. While expressing his pride in the achievements made by the students, Shashikant  Deepak said, “Right from buying the components for the rover, infrastructural support, and even visiting labs across India, the university will support the entire research. The team named our rover ‘Mushak’ after Lord Ganesha’s vehicle.”

Besides Biradar, the team includes Hiranyam Gupta, Anshul Roy, Amitav Ramesh, Hetanshi Vora, Parth Selarka, Harsh Bavaskar, Tanushree Bhatt, Bhavya Patel, Niyati Sardana, Bisistha Patra, Siddharth Lama, Sahil Asopa, Megh Bari and Atharva Phale.

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