The Mars Rover Design Team at Missouri University of Science and Technology has won the 2025 University Rover Challenge, an international competition held annually at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah.

The competition consisted of four missions in which the rover, designed and built by university students, had to carry out various tasks, as well as a review of the rover’s design. The rover was required to maneuver through soft sand and rocky terrain, around vertical drops and steep slopes, as well as navigate autonomously for certain parts of the challenge.

The team came in first in the system acceptance review score, based on a written report and a video detailing the capabilities of the rover. The video showcasing the rover, Talos, is available to view on Youtube.

Missouri S&T’s team also came first in the equipment servicing mission, finishing more than 30 points ahead of the second-place team. The team finished second in the delivery mission, tied for third in the science mission, and finished in a four-way tie for fourth on the autonomous navigation mission.

The Mars Rover Design Team competed against 38 teams from around the world. Countries represented at the competition include Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland and Türkiye, as well as many teams from the United States.

Members of the Mars Rover Design Team who traveled to the competition are:

· Alex Adams, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Knob Noster, Missouri

· Lauren Booth, a junior in geology and geophysics from New London, Missouri

· Ethan Chapie, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from St. Louis

· Aster Davidson, a junior in chemistry and physics from St. Louis

· Jesse Deuel, a senior in computer engineering from Mill Valley, California

· Gabriel Duncan, a junior in physics from Simpson, Illinois

· Angel Espinoza-Mendoza, a sophomore in electrical engineering from Maryland Heights, Missouri

· Abby Frerking, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, from Columbia, Missouri

· Will Grove, a junior in computer engineering from Independence, Missouri

· Sam Hajdukiewicz, a junior in computer science from Chesterfield, Missouri

· Morgan Johnson, a junior in computer science from St. Louis

· Sam Jones, a junior in mechanical engineering from Springdale, Arkansas

· Adam Klassen, a senior in computer engineering from Saint Joseph, Missouri

· Remy Mathenia, who recently earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, from Rolla, Missouri

· Cooper Ritzma, a senior in electrical engineering from Concordia, Missouri

· Chase Stem, a senior in aerospace engineering from Columbia, Missouri

· Ryan Swan, a junior in mechanical engineering from Wildwood, Missouri

· Sofia Tripp, a junior in physics from St. Louis

· Josie Tyndorf, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Carlsbad, New Mexico

· Will Weidler, who recently earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science, from St. Louis.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.