Name the Rover CHALLENGE

winners announced
Challenge Details
/
Dates, Judging, Prizes
/
Educational Resources
Challenge Details
>
Challenge Details
Dates, Judging, Prizes
Educational Resources
Gallery of Entries

YOUR CHALLENGE IS:

NAME NASA'S MARS 2020 ROVER

Challenge Closed





K-12 Students

If you are a K-12 student in the United States, your challenge is to name NASA’s next Mars rover. Submit your rover name and a short essay (maximum 150 words) to explain the reasons for your selected name. Be sure to review the RULES for all challenge details and entry requirements, including the privacy requirement of NO PERSONAL NAMES in your submission so that your entry may be posted in the public gallery. The Mars 2020 rover will seek signs of past microbial life, collect surface samples as the first leg of a potential Mars Sample Return campaign, and test technologies to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere to prepare for future human missions. More background information about the Mars 2020 mission is provided in the education resources section below.
Challenge Launch Video
play

WINNERS

Grades K-4 WINNERS Grades 5-8 WINNERS Grades 9-12 WINNERS
Grades K-4
>
Grades K-4 WINNERS Grades 5-8 WINNERS Grades 9-12 WINNERS
Loading entries...
Loading entries...
Loading entries...
 
 

DATES / JUDGING CRITERIA / PRIZES

You have to play by the rules to win.

WHO CAN ENTER

Individual K-12 Students in US public, private, and home schools (including U.S. territories & possessions and schools operated by the U.S. for the children of American personnel overseas). NO team entries allowed! Children and students who live in the same household with NASA, Battelle Education, JPL, or Caltech employees cannot enter. For all eligibility details, please refer to the rules.
GRADES K-4
GRADES 5-8
GRADES 9-12

JUDGING CRITERIA

Grades K-4
Grades 5-8
Grades 9-12
 
40
POINTS
Appropriateness and Significance of Name
30
POINTS
Originality of name
30
POINTS
Originality and quality of the essay and/or finalist interview presentation
5
POINTS
Bonus points awarded to entry with the highest public poll votes (only applicable in the final judging round)
40
POINTS
Appropriateness and Significance of Name
30
POINTS
Originality of name
30
POINTS
Originality and quality of the essay and/or finalist interview presentation
5
POINTS
Bonus points awarded to entry with the highest public poll votes (only applicable in the final judging round)
40
POINTS
Appropriateness and Significance of Name
30
POINTS
Originality of name
30
POINTS
Originality and quality of the essay​ and/or finalist interview presentation
5
POINTS
Bonus points awarded to entry with the highest public poll votes (only applicable in the final judging round)

HOW TO ENTER

Please review the Challenge Rules and FAQ prior to creating your entry.

Challenge Rules FAQ
TEACHERS
Sign up to register your class and manage entries. We now support Google Classroom too!

STUDENTS
Sign up on your own, or use a code to participate with your class.

STUDENT USING GOOGLE CLASSROOM?
Login to Submit

STUDENT & TEACHER SIGN UP
PROGRAM DATES
Challenge Launch
28
August
Entries Close
01
November
Semifinalists Announced
13
January
Finalists Announced
21
January
Finalist Interviews
31
January
Winner Announced
05
March
Challenge Launch
28
August
Entries Close
01
November
Semifinalists Announced
13
January
Finalists Announced
21
January
Finalist Interviews
31
January
Winner Announced
05
March

PRIZES

 

Dive Into The Challenge

Lesson Plan Details and Challenge Tips!

1. Links & Lessons

 

2. Brainstorm & Design

 
Links & Lessons
Brainstorm & Design
Links & Lessons
>
Links & Lessons
Brainstorm & Design

Brainstorm & Design

Get creative! We can't wait to see what rover name you will submit. If you get stumped then take a moment to get to know the rover. Maybe the rover’s objectives, design, or capabilities will inspire you.
Brainstorming Idea
Mission Objectives

The Mars 2020 mission will not only seek signs that Mars could have supported life in the ancient past, but will also search for signs of past microbial (single-cell) life itself. The Mars 2020 rover has a drill that can collect core samples of the most promising rocks and soils in special tubes, and set them aside in a "cache" on the surface of Mars. A future mission could bring these samples back to Earth.  That would help scientists study the samples in laboratories with equipment that would be too large to take to Mars. What are the mission’s science goals and how will the rover help achieve these goals? 

Brainstorming Idea
Landing Systems

The Mars 2020 mission will not only seek signs that Mars could have supported life in the ancient past, but will also search for signs of past microbial (single-cell) life itself. The Mars 2020 rover has a drill that can collect core samples of the most promising rocks and soils in special tubes, and set them aside in a "cache" on the surface of Mars. A future mission could bring these samples back to Earth.  That would help scientists study the samples in laboratories with equipment that would be too large to take to Mars. What are the mission’s science goals and how will the rover help achieve these goals? 

Brainstorming Idea
Movement

The six-wheeled rover has a “rocker-bogie” suspension system, to help it stay balanced while cruising over rocky Martian terrain. Each wheel has its own individual motor and the two in front and in the back have steering motors with a 360-degree capability. The rover itself is the size of a small SUV (10 feet long, not including the arm) with a top speed of 1.5 inches per second which is about one-tenth of a mile per hour. How does the “rocker-bogie” system keep the rover from tipping over? How does the 360-degree steering help the rover move around?

Brainstorming Idea
Communication

Getting information to and from the Rover is vital to the mission. It takes about 5 to 20 minutes for a radio signal to travel between Mars and Earth. The rover is equipped with three antennas that serve as both its “voice” and “ears”. What are these antennas for and how will they relay messages to the Earth and back to Mars?

Brainstorming Idea
Eyes and Other Senses

The rover has several cameras focused on engineering and science tasks. Some help the rover land on Mars, while others serve as the rover’s “eyes” on the surface to drive around. Scientists will use others to do scientific observations to help decide which rock and soil samples to collect.  The rover has a total of 23 cameras, some of which can even take video! What do the cameras do and are they so important to the rover?

Brainstorming Idea
Rock and Soil Sampling

The rover has several cameras focused on engineering and science tasks. Some help the rover land on Mars, while others serve as the rover’s “eyes” on the surface to drive around. Scientists will use others to do scientific observations to help decide which rock and soil samples to collect.  The rover has a total of 23 cameras, some of which can even take video! What do the cameras do and are they so important to the rover?

Digital Tools

NEXT: Brainstorm >

Build & Iterate

FOR THE CLASSROOM

Group Size

Split into 8 teams

Approach

Assign each team a video lesson and have them present what they learned

Material

None

Educator tools

 

LAUNCHING THE INNOVATORS OF TOMORROW

The Mars 2020 "Name the Rover" Challenge is presented by challenge partners: NASA, Future Engineers, and Battelle Education. Additional prizes arranged by Future Engineers through Amazon Web Services. The student contest is part of NASA's efforts to engage the public in its missions to the Moon and Mars. The currently unnamed rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms). It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. The spacecraft is targeted for a July 2020 launch and is expected to touch down on Mars in February 2021.

In Partnership With

Additional Prize Provider

Contact us

Thank you for your interest in contacting Future Engineers. We look forward to connecting with you!

General Inquiries

support@futureengineers.org

Sponsorship Inquiries

sponsor@futureengineers.org

Get The Newsletter