NASA to Host Human Exploration Rover Challenge
Nearly 80 teams from the United States, Italy, Germany, India, Mexico, Colombia and Russia, as well as Puerto Rico, will compete in NASA’s annual Human Exploration Rover Challenge, April 8 -9 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The rover challenge requires student teams to design, construct, test and race human-powered rovers through an obstacle course that simulates the terrain potentially found on distant planets, asteroids or moons.
Teams race to finish the three-quarter-mile-long obstacle course in the fastest time, vying for prizes in various divisions.
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The event concludes with a ceremony at 6 p.m. CDT, April 9 in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville, where event sponsors will present awards for best design, rookie team, pit crew award and other accomplishments.
The Human Exploration Rover Challenge highlights NASA’s goals for future exploration to Mars and beyond.
Inspired by the lunar roving vehicles of the Apollo moon missions, the competition challenges students to solve engineering problems, while highlighting NASA’s commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.
The two-day event and awards ceremony will stream live online.
Photo courtesy: NASA
