The Mars Society is proud to welcome the INCOSE Foundation as an Educational Partner of the University Rover Challenge (URC). The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable organization affiliated with the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and is committed to rewarding skills through scholarships for those engaged in finding solutions to complex technical challenges at all stages of their education or career. Together, the organizations are pleased to announce the establishment of the INCOSE Foundation Excellence in Systems Engineering Award. This… READ MORE >
Topic Area: University Rover Challenge
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 >
The Mars Society is proud to welcome Honeybee Robotics as an official sponsor of the 2026 University Rover Challenge (URC)—a partnership that directly connects cutting-edge space robotics with the next generation of planetary engineers. As a long-time leader in developing robotic systems for extreme and mission-critical environments, Honeybee Robotics plays a vital role in advancing the technologies needed for planetary exploration. Their sponsorship of URC supports a global student competition organized by the Mars Society, where university teams design and… READ MORE >
Mars Society Welcomes Nissan Advanced Technology Center Silicon Valley (NATC-SV) as 2024 URC Sponsor
The Mars Society is excited to welcome the Nissan Advanced Technology Center – Silicon Valley (NATC-SV) as a sponsor of the 2024 University Rover Challenge. Based in Santa Clara, Calif., NATC-SV is the center of global excellence for Artificial Intelligence and next-generation mobility solutions at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Researchers and scientists at the center study all areas of automotive research, from the use of AI for developing new battery materials to the design of new systems on a chip for the… READ MORE >