Bangladesh’s Bold Bid: 'Dreams of Bangladesh' Heads to NASA's HERC 2025

Bangladesh's student rover team Dreams of Bangladesh is set to represent the country in the Human Exploration Rover Challenge 2025 (HERC), hosted by NASA. The event will be held on April 11–12, 2025, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Bangladeshi team will participate in the newly introduced remote-controlled category of the competition. Their innovative lunar vehicle, Myrage-1, has already earned accolades by placing among the top seven teams in Asia and South Asia, beating out nearly 8,000 global competitors.

The final team includes 15 students from institutions across the country, such as Dhaka Residential Model College, Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf College, BAF Shaheen College, Viqarunnisa Noon College, South Point School and College, and Sirajganj Government College. The team is led by A-Level candidate Sanjim Hossain, with Mahdir Islam from Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College acting as the mission commander.

Other core members include Safety Officer An Nafiu (Dhaka Residential Model College), Mechanical Lead Md. Rifat Hossain (CPI Polytechnic), Technical Lead Md. Yasin Arafat (BAF Shaheen College), Software Lead Arkopratik Acharya (Dhaka Residential Model College), and Electric Lead Marzia Afifa Prithibi (South Point School and College). Design Lead Abdullah Al Junaed is a student of Dhaka Imperial College. Additional members include Ayesha Jahar Safa (Viqarunnisa Noon School and College), Fatema Jahan Shifa (Feni Girls’ Cadet College), Rubaiyat H. Rahman and Hashin Ishraq Chowdhury Taha (both from Dhaka Residential Model College).

The team’s manager is Shamim Ahnaf Tahmid from Dhaka Residential Model College. Shah Md. Ahsan Siddiq from the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) is advising the team, alongside mentors Jawadur Rahman and Md. Faisal Hossain. Their coach is Md. Moin Uddin, a senior teacher from Ashuganj Thermal Power Plant School.

Twelve members of the team departed for the United States on March 28 via Turkish Airlines, while the remaining will fly on April 7. The early group celebrated Eid away from home—splitting their celebration between Asia and Europe.

“We had a holistic Eid,” said Mahdir Islam. “We observed it across Asia and Europe. At 7 a.m. Turkish time, we joined the Eid congregation at Ali Kusçu Mosque on Istanbul Airport Road, surrounded by the spiritual ambiance of Islamic culture and tradition.”

After prayer, the group was greeted warmly by local Muslims with handshakes and embraces and shared traditional Turkish desserts. “Our flight to the U.S. was at 3 p.m., so we quickly returned to our hotel and then headed to the airport,” Mahdir added. “Half of Eid was in Turkey, and the rest we celebrated in Michigan.”

On April 4, the team presented their project and innovation to the local community in Madison Heights, Michigan, upon invitation from the Chittagong University Alumni Association in the U.S. The next day, they participated in a conference on the International College on Machine Learning and Computing (ICMLA) at Central Michigan University, where two research papers authored by the team were presented and are set to be published in the university’s academic journal.

The team will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, on April 7 to take part in the final phase of the NASA competition, with hopes of further extending their Eid joy by bringing home global recognition.

Myrage-1: A Lunar Dream on Six Wheels

The Myrage-1 rover, reminiscent of NASA’s Curiosity rover, uses a rocker-bogie suspension system and has six wheels. The rover measures 700mm in length, 460mm in width, and 280mm in height. Its structural frame uses aluminum bars and carbon fiber tubes for strength and durability.

The wheels, with a diameter of 180mm and a ground clearance of 360mm, are designed using thermoplastic polyurethane for flexibility and shock resistance. Prototyping components are made from polylactic acid (PLA).

The highlight of the rover is its advanced sensing and navigation system. It includes an integrated Slamtec RP-LiDAR, capable of 360-degree environmental scanning to create 2D maps using Time-of-Flight laser technology. An ESP-based microcontroller acts as the brain of the rover, handling all data processing and control operations. It communicates wirelessly with the main remote controller via radio frequency or Wi-Fi protocols.

The rover is powered by a combination of lithium polymer and 18650 batteries, managed by a custom-designed power management system. It is equipped with six DC motors, a motor driver module, a high-resolution camera, and can operate in darkness, dust, and harsh conditions—achieving 98% accuracy in controlled lab tests.

With their eyes on the stars and wheels on the lunar ground, Dreams of Bangladesh is aiming to not just participate but make history.