President Luis Abinader presented the Gran Premio Nacional de la Juventud (Grand National Youth Award) to Apolo 27, a student team from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
The award was presented on 1 February 2026 during a ceremony to commemorated National Youth Day. The award recognizes the team as a benchmark for innovation and excellence in the STEAM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). The student team received the highest honor of the night for their consistent success in international engineering.
Apolo 27 is widely celebrated for its performance in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC). They have earned multiple global accolades, including “The Most Improved Award” and the “Spirit Award,” for their excellence in designing and constructing rovers intended for space exploration.
During the ceremony, President Abinader praised the students as “true models and paradigms for youth to follow.” To support their academic and professional growth, the government has previously committed to providing full scholarships and financial backing for the team’s participation in upcoming NASA competitions.
The group is led by professor Ezequiel Díaz and consists of students from various engineering disciplines, including Mechatronics, Software, and Aerospace Engineering.
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Presidency
DR1 News
2 February 2026