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College Teams Prepare for Mars Face-Off at University Rover Challenge
Nine teams of college students from 3 countries are preparing to prove that they have what it takes to build the next generation of Mars rovers at the 2008 Mars Society University Rover Challenge (URC). The contest, to be held June 5-7, 2008 at the Mars Desert Research Station near Hanksville, Utah, will be sponsored by Raytheon. The 2008 URC will require the students to place their robotic creations through a series of four difficult tasks that will feature capabilities expected of future Mars rovers.
The 2007 URC defending champion, University of Nevada, Reno, will face steep competition from a field including:
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"During the last seven months since the 2008 rules have been published, the University of Nevada, Reno team has been hard at work designing this year's rover," commented Travis Fields, UNR Team Leader. "The team is excited not only to compete, but also to see the creativity and design work of the diverse entrants at this year's competition. Although the competition is sure to be fierce, UNR is sure to come to Hanksville ready."
The teams of primarily science and engineering students and their rovers must complete a diverse array of tasks involving construction, soil investigation, geological analysis, and an emergency navigation mission to deliver supplies to a distressed astronaut.
Media and sponsorship opportunities are available for URC - please contact Kevin Sloan if your organization is interested. Blogs and videos will be posted throughout the event on the Mars Society web site.
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