NASA Announces Teams From Across the World For 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

By  //  March 19, 2017

highlights NASA’s goals for future exploration

Participating teams come from all over the world including 23 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several different countries, such as Brazil, Germany, India and Mexico. (NASA image)

NASA – Ready for a race? Nearly 100 high school and college teams from across the globe will put their skills to the test March 30 to April 1 during NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Participating teams come from all over the world including 23 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several different countries, such as Brazil, Germany, India and Mexico.

The 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 emphasizing NASA’s commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers.

Rover Challenge is hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and is managed by Marshall’s Academic Affairs Office.

Student teams are required to design, build, test and race human-powered rovers, driven by one male and one female team member.

The nearly three-quarter-mile course boasts 17 grueling obstacles that simulate terrain found on Mars, as well as other planets, moons and asteroids throughout the solar system.

NASA Begins Study To Add Crew To Orion, SLS To Send Humans Into Deep SpaceRelated Story:
NASA Begins Study To Add Crew To Orion, SLS To Send Humans Into Deep Space

Teams race to finish the course with the fastest times to win prizes in several competitive divisions. The event concludes with an awards ceremony, where corporate sponsors will present awards for best design, rookie team and other accomplishments.

“The NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge team and its innovative partners are extremely excited to host this engineering design competition,” said Diedra Williams, acting manager of Marshall’s Academic Affairs Office.

“The Rover Challenge allows for young talent to work together to solve complex engineering problems that include design, construction and testing. It is great fun – but also reflects the real-world complexity of problem solving with practical, hands-on experience. We look forward to seeing the enthusiasm and inventive ideas they bring to the competition.”

NASA: Cassini Spacecraft Spots Heat Below the Surface of Saturn’s Icy Moon EnceladusRelated Story:
NASA: Cassini Spacecraft Spots Heat Below the Surface of Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus

This year’s race has a new optional feature called the “Drive Train Technology Challenge.” Teams can develop reliable systems such as belts, drive shafts or direct drives to replace commonly used chains. Cash awards will be given for best overall performance.

Major corporate sponsors include the Boeing Co.; Lockheed Martin Corp.; Jacobs Engineering; Aerojet Rocketdyne; and Northrop Grumman Corp., all with operations in Huntsville.

 NASA will provide real-time updates on Ustream and the Rover Challenge Twitter account.

CLICK HERE FOR NASA AND SPACE NEWS