The Mars Rover Design Team at Missouri University of Science and Technology will unveil this year’s rover at a ceremony, scheduled for noon Friday, April 18, in the Havener Center atrium.

The team plans to compete at The Mars Society’s 2014 University Rover Challenge, held May 29-31 at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah. Thirty other teams from four continents have registered to compete at the event. This will be S&T’s second Mars rover competition.

The competition requires students to design and build the potential next generation of Mars rovers, capable of working on the red planet. S&T’s Mars Rover Design Team began work on its vehicle in the fall 2013 and is now refining it in preparation for the competition. During the competition, teams will maneuver their rovers across rough terrain and complete a series of tasks. Teams must also present a technical report detailing the rover’s design specifications.