The Challenge:
For the third year, teams of university students will design and build the next generation of Mars rovers.
May 28-30, 2009 the teams and their rovers will face off at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

The Prize:
The winning team will win transportation, lodging and admission for 5 team members to the
12th Annual International Mars Society Convention in Washington, DC this summer, and large cash prizes.

The 2009 University Rover Challenge has begun!

The competition starts Friday morning when the teams tackle the first challenges:

• Extremophile Search Task - Search for signs of life in the remote, barren terrain of MDRS
• Construction Task - Your rover must venture out to a loose equipment panel, and secure it to its structure by tightening several loose bolts

• Site Survey Task - Use your rover to spot several distant markers, and provide their exact coordinates
• Emergency Navigation Task - A distressed astronaut has gone done while walking back to the Hab; your rover must find your colleague and deliver emergency supplies before it's too late

Several teams now have web pages available for the public to view. Start checking out the field as the students get ready for the 2009 URC!

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