MIT Zero Robotics Summer Program
A five-week summer program in which middle school students write code for NASA's Astrobee robots and compete in a challenge that finishes live on the International Space Station.
About the program
Zero Robotics is provided through a partnership of The Aerospace Corporation, the MIT Space Enabled Lab and the Innovation Learning Center, and is sponsored by NASA and the ISS National Lab. Students program Astrobee, NASA's free-flying robot aboard the ISS, to complete a technically demanding game. Their programs are autonomous: once submitted, the code controls the robot's speed, rotation and direction on its own.
C0deEX has been selected to field teams again because of its record in the program: national champions in 2022, 2024 and 2026, special recognition for our all-girls team in 2025, and first place internationally in 2019. See our Zero Robotics results.
- Grades: Middle school
- Length: Five weeks
- Dates: June 29 – July 31, 2026
- Sessions: Mornings, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, at 136 Great Rd, Acton
- Fee: $1,199 early bird (register before May 1) · $1,299 regular
Details shown are for the 2026 program. 2027 dates and fees will be posted here when registration opens.
What students learn
- Forces, motion and Newton's laws
- Vectors, coordinates and dimensions
- Order of operations, grids and graphing
- Programming Astrobee in the Zero Robotics development environment
- Game strategy and teamwork
- Producing a team video for the final submission
Program highlights
- A field day at MIT, organized by the Zero Robotics team (week of July 13 in 2026)
- A virtual career day hosted by The Aerospace Corporation (July 10 in 2026)
- Simulation and testing in a browser-based development environment, with no installs required
- Final competition runs live aboard the International Space Station
Find the right program for your student
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