Design and Test a Rover

Wheeled Vehicles through Time

The ability to use tools is one of the skills that has allowed humanity to grow as a species, and one of the most essential tools is the wheel. Throughout history, the wheel has been one of the keystones of technological advancement, allowing us to move goods and people with relative ease. This improved the speed at which ideas could be exchanged, which in turn led to improvements in wheeled vehicles, and so on in a feedback loop. Often, when we think about the future of mobility, the conversation centers around flight, but the wheel will continue to play a significant role in our lives and future for generations to come.

NASA’s Rovers

When we think of NASA, our minds typically think about the incredible rockets designed to take people beyond the Earth. But when a mission calls for exploring the surface of a planet or moon, there is no substitute for the rover. NASA has sent four rovers to Mars, with the fifth expected to land on the Martian surface on Feb. 18, 2021. These rovers have increased our knowledge of the Red Planet by leaps and bounds. Rovers were also essential to our exploration of the moon in the 1970s, and as we plan on returning to the moon in the next few years, crewed rovers will once again be a primary focus of space exploration.

Prizes

Challenge winners can select from two general admission tickets to Space Center Houston or a virtual chat with a NASA astronaut.

Before you begin, review the steps below.