Related News & Announcements

Save the Date(s): 29th Annual International Mars Society Convention at USC

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that the 29th Annual International Mars Society Convention will take place October 22–24, 2026 at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. This three-day international gathering will bring together leading scientists, policymakers, commercial space leaders, science journalists, and space advocates to explore the latest progress in Mars exploration, future human settlement and sustainability beyond Earth, emerging space technologies, the next era in lunar exploration, and much more. With both on-site and… READ MORE >

38 Teams Advance to 2026 University Rover Challenge Finals!

After an incredibly competitive System Acceptance Review, 38 teams from 11 countries will compete at the 2026 University Rover Challenge Finals, being held May 27-30, 2026 at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah! A record 116 teams from 18 countries (!) began the year competing for a coveted invitation to the URC2026 Finals. Teams submitted both written reports as well as video demonstrations of their rovers, which were scored by URC’s panel of judges. The URC, led… READ MORE >

High School Students: Design Your Own Mission to Mars This Summer

The Mars Society is excited to announce the Fifth Annual International Mission to Mars Engineering Design Competition, a dynamic virtual summer program open to high school students ages 13–19 worldwide. The program will run June 8 through July 10, 2026, offering students an immersive opportunity to tackle real-world challenges related to human exploration of the Red Planet. During this five-week competition, students will think and work like aerospace engineers and mission planners by designing a comprehensive human mission to Mars… READ MORE >