The defending world champion Mars Rover Design Team at Missouri S&T will unveil Atlas, this year’s student-built rover, at a ceremony scheduled for noon Friday, March 9, in the Havener Center atrium.
After unveiling the rover, the team will host a meet-and-greet with team members and showcase various parts and aspects of the vehicle. The event is free and open to the public.
The team will compete at the Mars Society’s 2018 University Rover Challenge, May 31-June 2 at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah. Approximately 30 university teams from around the world will compete at the event. Missouri S&T won the 2017 competition, becoming the first U.S. team to place first in the past seven years.
The competition requires students to design and build the potential next generation of Mars rovers capable of working on the red planet and supporting future astronaut missions. Missouri S&T’s team began work on its vehicle in the fall and is now testing and 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 will also present a technical report detailing the rover’s design specifications.
The Mars Rover Design Team is one of 18 student-run teams in Missouri S&T’s Student Design and Experiential Learning Center (SDELC). The SDELC, housed in the Kummer Student Design Center, provides real-world team-based operations, including computer design laboratories, a manufacturing shop, office space and logistical support. Design teams mirror small start-up companies that plan large-scale projects, organize into departments, raise funds, communicate their ideas and solve open-ended design challenges. Most teams compete annually against other collegiate teams from around the country and the world. For more information about the teams, visit design.mst.edu.
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