More Than 45 Graduate And Undergrad Teams Will Compete

Teams of undergraduate and graduate students from throughout the nation will demonstrate their excavator robots May 16-20 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

More than 45 teams have designed and built remote controlled mining robots to traverse the simulated Martian terrain and excavate simulated Martian dirt. During the competition, the teams’ robots will go head-to-head to determine which machine can collect and move the most regolith within a specified amount of time.

The competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM fields by expanding opportunities for student research and design. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could potentially be used on NASA’s journey to Mars.

Although the competition is for college students, the event offers many opportunities for students of all ages. NASA is hosting a college recruitment fair for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors showcasing STEM education opportunities available at top colleges and universities across the nation. The event also will offer additional STEM activities for students of all ages.

(Image provided with NASA news release)

FMI: www.nasa.gov/nasarmc