On a dusty course designed to mimic the moon’s surface, a group of North Texas students pushed their homemade rover across the finish line and into first place. Representing Parish Episcopal School, including several from Plano, the team claimed the top spot at NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge after months of building, testing and refining their machine.
The 16-member team included six seniors, five juniors and five sophomores, led by senior captains Sam Baxter, Luke Moresco and Vance Robey.
Their rover was human-powered, meaning student pilots navigated the course themselves, balancing endurance, control and design under pressure.
A Winning Run In Alabama
The competition, hosted by NASA at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, draws student teams from around the world. This year’s event wrapped April 10–11, capping a nine-month process of designing, building and testing a working rover…