chose Battelle and Future Engineers of California to conduct the Mars 2020 Name the Rover contest that opens to K-12 students this fall. The student contest is part of NASA’s efforts to engage the public in its missions to the Moon and Mars.
The currently nameless rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds. It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet's climate and geology, collect samples for a future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the red planet. The spacecraft is targeted for a July 2020 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and is expected to touch down on Mars in February 2021.
Battelle and its partners will recruit students nationwide to write an essay proposing a name for the rover. Volunteer judges, also recruited through the project, will select 30 rover names each for NASA’s consideration. Additionally, Battelle and its partners will curate resources for educators to transform the competition into a national learning experience, both in and out of school.
"Contests like this present excellent opportunities to invite young students and educators to be a part of this journey to understand the possibilities for life beyond Earth and to advance new capabilities in exploration technology,” says George Tahu, Mars 2020 program executive in NASA's Planetary Science Division at the agency’s headquarters in Washington.
By focusing the Mars 2020 Name the Rover contest on K-12 entries, NASA seeks to engage U.S. students in the engineering and scientific work that makes Mars exploration possible. The contest also supports national goals to stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and help create the next generation of STEM leaders.
Future Engineers, an education technology company that engages K-12 students with innovation contests and challenges, will host the Mars 2020 Name the Rover contest on its website, which will serve as the online portal for entry submission and judging. For more information about the contest and the criteria for judges, visit www.futureengineers.org or www.battelle.org
Battelle Celebrates 90 Years
The people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus since its inception in 1929, Battelle makes the world better by commercializing technology, giving back to the community and supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. For more information, visit www.battelle.org.
