← Back to projects
19th Worldwide Jul 2024 - Apr 2025

Apollo Rise - NASA HERC 2025

Telecommunications Director

Telecommunications Director for Peru's rover team in NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge. 19th place worldwide.

Raspberry PiXBee-PROArduino NanoECG AD8232GPS Ublox NEO-6MBluetoothPython

The Project

Apollo Rise is the rover team from Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (USAT) that represented Peru in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) 2025, held at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

I was part of the team since its inception, helping design the initial proposal that was selected by the competition organizers. As Telecommunications Director, I led and organized all communications systems between the rover, pilots, and ground base.

The Challenge

The competition simulates conditions astronauts would face on the Moon or Mars. Teams must build a human-powered rover capable of navigating extreme terrain while maintaining constant communication with the control base.

My specific challenges in telecommunications:

  1. Real-time vital signs monitoring of pilots during the competition
  2. Continuous GPS tracking of the rover in environments with interference
  3. Reliable voice communication between pilots and base in real-time

The Solutions

Challenge 1: Vital Signs Monitoring

Problem: Getting accurate heart rate readings from a pilot in constant motion, with electromagnetic interference, and transmitting data instantly.

Solution: We adopted the ECG AD8232 module, a compact sensor that detects even subtle changes in cardiac activity. Connected to an Arduino Nano that processes and sends data via Bluetooth to the rover’s Raspberry Pi. From there, information is transmitted via radio frequency (XBee-PRO) to the central base.

Challenge 2: Continuous Rover Tracking

Problem: Trees, metal structures, and weather can block location signals, complicating real-time tracking.

Solution: We selected the GPS Ublox NEO-6M module for its precision and easy integration. It records exact position (latitude/longitude) and transmits to the Raspberry Pi, which sends data to base via XBee-PRO. Each data point is timestamped for synchronization with other systems.

Challenge 3: Reliable Voice Communication

Problem: Achieving real-time voice communication with sufficient quality in an environment full of interference.

Solution: Hands-free headset system paired to the rover’s Raspberry Pi. Voice is transmitted via XBee-PRO modules, optimized with G.711 compression techniques for clarity and reduced latency. The system uses automatic retransmission for communication continuity.

Results

  • 19th place worldwide in the Human Powered category
  • Successfully competed against 100+ teams from universities around the world
  • Represented Peru at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
  • All communications systems functioned reliably throughout the competition

Technical Architecture

The telecommunications system integrates multiple components:

Pilot → ECG AD8232 → Arduino Nano → Bluetooth → Raspberry Pi
                                                      ↓
        GPS Module → Raspberry Pi → XBee-PRO → Ground Base
                                                      ↓
        Voice Headset → Raspberry Pi → XBee-PRO → Control Center

Peru teams at the starting line

Rover in action

Telecommunications team selfie

Apollo Rise team with Peru flag

Team at NASA Space Center at night

Panel discussion about the NASA experience

Team returning to Peru after the event

Impact

This experience was transformative:

  • Led a technical team under international competition pressure
  • Applied embedded systems and telecommunications knowledge in a real-world scenario
  • Represented my country at one of NASA’s most prestigious challenges
  • Validated that Peruvian engineering can compete globally