ROVER: NASA is working on a trip to Mars, and they want students to get involved. Part of that involvement is a competition called the Mars 2020 Name the Rover essay contest.
The grand prize winner will name the rover and will also be invited to watch the spacecraft launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in July 2020.
“This naming contest is a wonderful opportunity for our nation’s youth to get involved with NASA’s Moon to Mars missions,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “It is an exciting way to engage with a rover that will likely serve as the first leg of a Mars Sample return campaign, collecting and caching core samples from the Martian surface for scientists here on Earth to study for the first time.”
The Mars 2020 rover is a 2,300-pound robotic scientist that 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.
“Our Mars 2020 rover has fully taken shape over the past several months, as the project team installed various components onto the chassis: the computer brain and electronics; wheels and mobility system; robotic arm; remote sensing mast; the seven science instruments; and finally, the sample caching system,” said George Tahu, Mars 2020 program executive. “All that’s missing is a great name!”
Students have until Nov. 1 to submit their ideas for a name, along with a 150-word essay that explains why their name is the one that should win. The essays will be divided into three groups, by grade level – K-4, 5-8, and 9-12.
Fifty-two semifinalists will be selected per group, each representing their respective state or U.S. territory. Three finalists will be selected from each group to advance to the final round.
As part of the final selection process, the public will have an opportunity to vote online on the nine finalists in January 2020.
NASA plans to announce the selected name on Feb. 18, 2020 – exactly one year before the rover will land on the surface of Mars.
Visit https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/name-the-rover/ to register for the contest and submit entries.
