MIT/NASA Zero Robotics Competition for M.S.

2023 ISS Final Extracts.

Since 2023, Storming Robots has participated in the Zero Robotics Middle School Competition, a programming challenge using NASA’s Astrobee robots aboard the International Space Station. Teams first develop code online, and finalists earn the rare chance to run their programs LIVE in microgravity up in the International Space Station, with an astronaut conducting the championship.

2025 Summer

Swept TOP 3 Places

Congratulations to Our ZeroRobotics Middle School Teams – Quark Charm Jr.!

We have three teams, Quark Charm Jr.#1, #2, #3, participated in 2025. All three of our teams swept the leaderboard, placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd along with their alliance teams from around the US at the 2025 ZeroRobotics Middle School Satellites Programming Competition – ISS Final held on August 6, 2025.

1st PLACE - Quarklactic Garden Alliance (led by Quark Charm Jr. 3)

2nd PLACE - Photon Alliance (led by Quark Charm Jr. 2)

3rd PLACE - Quarkster Alliance (led by Quark Charm Jr. 1)

Each Quark Charm Jr. team led their own alliance and dominated the final rankings. A huge congratulations to all the students and mentors for their outstanding teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance!

Live Streamed Event for public will be available soon.

1st Place Team Portfolio

2nd Place Team Portfolio

3rd Place Team Portfolio

2024 Summer

Another exciting season June 24th to July 26th.

ISS Final Round will be held on July 31^st.

For Teams: at 10:00 AM
For Public Viewing: 11:00 AM

Live Streamed Event for public

Meet our Team #1

Meet our Team #2

2023 Summer

Won First Place!

In Summer 2023, the Zero Robotics ISS Final featured astronaut Dr. Warren “Woody” Hoburg as referee aboard the International Space Station. The event engaged 46 teams and 600 middle school students nationwide, who programmed robots to virtually collect lunar dust samples for the Artemis mission.

Storming Robots’ Team Quark Charm Jr, together with alliance partners from the West Coast and Puerto Rico, achieved 1st Place in the ISS Final on August 3, 2023. Watching our code run live on the Space Station, with an astronaut as referee, was a truly inspirational moment for all 20 of our members.

2023 SR Quark Charm Junior Team.

ZeroRobotics Newsletter Team's Presenation Team's Portfolio

Astronaut upside down — This picture is not upside down. It shows Woody watching the Satellite floating Upside Down. Courtesy of ZeroRobotics

Astronaut referee — Woody watching the Satellite from above. Courtesy of ZeroRobotics

2023 Summer - Team Portfolio

Click on the video to watch team's technical presentation.

Click here to view our Team Portfolio.

Go here to view the 2023 ISS Game.

Time Commitment and attendance

5 weeks commitment – June 26 to July 28. (i.e. class starts on June 26)
10 hours meeting per week:

Two separate groups: - in-person and online group.

Mon to Fri: from 3:30 to 5:30
Must be able to dedicate minimum additional 5 to 10 hours per week to work at their own time.

Gain Eligibility to join this competition opportunity:

If you are one of our current RoboCupJunior Competition team members, you automatically gain eligibility. To Register
For others – Sign up Zero Robotics entrance test.
Tests cover basic geometry and algebra skill, and basic programming logic skill. Should know how to write basic functions, manipulate simple conditional structure, i.e. if/else, loop, simple variables manipulation.
Test date available:

May 6th or 13th (Saturday) from 3:30 to 5:00 PM.
If you are interested, please sign up for test here. Please do note there is $25 fee.
You will receive result in 3-5 business days.

What do students do:

Work in teams.
Programming satellites - control the speed, direction, and rotation of the Astrobee® satellites to solve a specific challenge.
Learn from astronauts and industry professionals about how they can become involved in the space industry as students and as the future workforce.
Strategy development in the realm of Space Engineering.
Compete nationally in a tournament where Astrobee simulators complete a mission developed based on NASA’s current research.
If advanced to the Final (in August), teams’ code will run on the actual satellite on ISS.
Teams face off in virtual trials to test their algorithms. Teams that make it through the virtual simulations to the finals compete in a live tournament where astronauts load student-developed code onto the satellites onboard the ISS. Astronauts then serve as referees in the finals, and everything is streamed in real time to student viewers on Earth.

Other logistics:

7/6: Tentative possible online field day (dictated by MIT, not SR). Attendance is optional.
Intense code submission schedule: every other week.

7/10, 14, 21 (tentative)
7/21: Final code submission. Semi-Finalist will advance to the Final.
The Final is an on-board IIS competition: in August (TBD). Teams will gather at a location to watch the gam run by astronaut. In the past, it was in MIT. They are currently seeking partnership for more local facilities which are equipped to share the broadcast, etc.

1st couple of weeks in August - LIVE International Space Station Finals ( Subject to change by NASA)