Students for the Exploration and Development of Space

The Northeastern University chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, or SEDS, is an interdisciplinary student group dedicated to space exploration and space exploration technologies. 

SEDS is both a professional and social environment for its 100-plus members, some of whom can often be found in the club’s primary workspace (the basement of Richards Hall) collaborating on technical projects. Since its inception in 2018, the group has conducted a variety of these projects, from creating a Mars Rover to designing and building the COBRA snakebot to prototyping a robot that turns Martian ice into drinkable water. The COBRA snakebot earned the club first place in NASA’s 2022 BIG Idea Challenge; other club rovers placed first in the 2024 winter Canadian International Rover Challenge and the 2021 RASC-AL Special Edition: Moon to Mars Ice & Prospecting Challenge; additionally, the group’s rovers have been finalists for five years running in the University Rover Competition.

Club members whose rovers reach the final rounds typically travel to compete, with past cohorts visiting Niagara Falls and Hanksville, Utah. Students who prefer not to travel may get the opportunity to showcase their work at local venues like the Museum of Science and the MassRobotics Block Party.

NU SEDS does multiple outreach events each year with the Center for STEM, Roxbury Robotics, and the Museum of Science. The club also hosts a biannual Space and Technology Expo, plus regular Astronomy Nights with the Physics Department that are open to all. Members can participate at any level, from attending an Astronomy Night all the way up to leading a technical rover design and prototyping project; based on how they get involved, they can gain skills ranging from a general understanding and appreciation of space up to portfolio pieces, research experience, and technical skills in areas like Python, autonomous navigation, and ROS 2.

SEDS is one of the few student groups on campus that offers students the opportunity to conduct capstone-level research and design before their senior year

Bryan Holsinger, vice president

Open, specific projects may have additional requirements