URC News

Astrolab Returns as a Sponsor of 2025 University Rover Challenge (April 22, 2025)

The Mars Society is excited to welcome Astrolab back as a sponsor of the 2025 University Rover Challenge!

Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is on a mission to move humanity forward to the next horizon by designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose rovers for all planetary surface needs. Astrolab is proud to be one of only three companies selected by NASA for its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services (LTVS) program, which will provide the next-generation lunar rover to transport astronauts on the surface of the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

Formed by a highly specialized team of NASA veterans, former SpaceXers, and JPL engineers, Astrolab is laser-focused on providing adaptive mobility solutions essential for life beyond Earth. The team brings industry-leading experience in terrestrial and planetary robotics, electric vehicles, human spaceflight, and more.

Astrolab’s depth of expertise, combined with strategic partnerships—including with electric vehicle pioneer Venturi Group—enables the delivery of Lunar and Mars mobility offerings with maximum reliability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. The company is headquartered in Hawthorne, California. For more information, visit astrolab.space and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

Nissan Advanced Technology Center - Silicon Valley Returns as Sponsor for 2025 University Rover Challenge (March 29, 2025)

The Mars Society is excited to welcome the Nissan Advanced Technology Center – Silicon Valley (NATC-SV) as a sponsor of the 2025 University Rover Challenge for the second year.

Based in Santa Clara, Calif., NATC-SV is the center of global excellence for Artificial Intelligence and next-generation mobility solutions at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Researchers and scientists at the center study all areas of automotive research, from the use of AI for developing new battery materials to the design of new systems on a chip for the next software defined vehicle. Specific areas of interest to this robotic challenge are the use of robotics and autonomy – combined with computer-, data- and social sciences – to improve mobility and invent real solutions for tomorrow.

“It is with much excitement that NATC-SV is sponsoring the Mars Society University Rover Challenge for the second year,” said Dr. Maarten Sierhuis, vice president and global director of the Nissan Advanced Technology Center – Silicon Valley. “Last year was the first time we were part of this incredible STEM event. The quality of the young engineers from all over the world is unbelievable. This event brings together talented people who are interested in space exploration and we want to continue our support for this event to develop great talent for future space exploration community, as well as for the automotive industry. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the MDRS in 2025.”

The long-term vision of Nissan’s Ambition 2030 program is to bring advanced driver-assistance and intelligence technologies to more customers. That includes the goal of expanding Nissan ProPILOT technology to over 2.5 million Nissan and INFINITI vehicles by fiscal year 2026. Nissan also aims to incorporate next-generation LIDAR systems on virtually every new model by fiscal year 2030.

38 Teams Advance to 2025 University Rover Challenge Finals! (March 20, 2025)

After an incredibly competitive System Acceptance Review, a record 38 teams from 10 countries will compete at the URC2025 Finals, being held May 28-31, 2025 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah!

A record 114 teams from 15 countries began the year competing for a coveted invitation to the URC Finals. Teams submitted both written reports as well as video demonstrations of their rovers, which were scored by URC's panel of judges. Typically only the top 36 teams will qualify, however the incredibly competitive scores resulted in the judges expanding the field for two additional teams in 2025. The University Rover Challenge commends all of the participating teams for their hard work, dedication, and perseverance!

The 38 Finalists will now spend the next two and a half months refining their rovers and conducting advanced testing to prepare themselves for the field competition in one of the most extreme and Mars-like environments on Earth!

Meet the URC2025 Finalists:

Australia

• Monash Nova Rover; Monash University
  https://www.novarover.space/

Bangladesh

• BRACU Mongol-Tori; BRAC University

• MIST Mongol Barota; Military Institute of Science and Technology

• Project Altair; Islamic University of Technology
  https://www.altairrover.com/

• UIU Mars Rover; United International University

Canada

• Carleton Planetary Robotics Team (CPRT); Carleton University
  curover.ca

• Queen's Space Engineering Team (QSET); Queen's University at Kingston
  qset.ca

• Robotics for Space Exploration; University of Toronto
  rsx.skule.ca

• Toronto MetRobotics; Toronto Metropolitan University
  teamtmr.ca

• UBC Rover; University of British Columbia
  https://ubcrover.com/

Colombia

• Ceres; Universidad de los Andes

India

• Ad Astra; Sairam Institutions
  https://teamadastra.in/

• IIT Bombay Mars Rover Team; IIT Bombay
  https://iitbmartian.github.io/

International (US/Japan)

• KARURA; Texas A&M University, The University of Tokyo, Shinshu University, Tokyo University of Science, Waseda University, National Institute of Technology, Toyama College, Gifu University, Hiroshima University, Hosei University, Keio University, Mount Holyoke College, Muroran Institute of Technology,  NHK Gakuen High School, Nihon University, Osaka University, Ritsumeikan University, Seikogakuin High School, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Shitennoji Senior High School, Takushoku University, Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Texas
  https://karura-project.studio.site/

Japan

• ARES Project; Tohoku University, Keio University, University of Tsukuba,Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Institute of Science Tokyo, Nihon University, Meiji University, Waseda University

México

• Mars Rover UdeG Space; Universidad de Guadalajara
  https://www.instagram.com/udegspace/

Poland

• AGH Space Systems; AGH University of Krakow
  https://spacesystems.agh.edu.pl/

• KNR Rover Team; Warsaw University of Technology
  https://knr.edu.pl/

• Legendary Rover; Rzeszów University of Technology
  https://legendary.prz.edu.pl/

• SKA Robotics; Warsaw University of Technology
  https://ska.pw.edu.pl/

Türkiye

• ITU ROVER TEAM; Istanbul Technical University
  https://www.ituprojetakimlari.com/rover

• YILDIZ ROVER; Yıldız Technical University
  https://rover.yildiz.edu.tr

United States

• ASTRA; The University of Alabama in Huntsville

• BYU Mars Rover Team; Brigham Young University
  https://www.facebook.com/BYUMarsRover/

• Cornell Mars Rover; Cornell University
  https://marsrover.engineering.cornell.edu/

• DAM Robotics; Oregon State University
  https://osurobotics.club/teams/rover/

• Husky Robotics; University of Washington-Seattle
  https://www.huskyrobotics.me/

• Mars Rover Design Team; Missouri University of Science and Technology
  marsrover.mst.edu

• Michigan Mars Rover Team; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  mrover.org

• New Haven Robotics; University of New Haven
  https://www.newhaven-robotics.club/

• Northeastern Mars Rover Team; Northeastern University
  https://www.northeasternrover.com/

• RoboJackets; Georgia Institute of Technology
  robojackets.org

• SC Robotics; Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College
  https://saddlebackcollegerobotics.com/

• Society of Martian Engineers - Team Sofia; Utah State University

• Sooner Rover Team; University of Oklahoma
  https://ou.edu/soonerrover

• Team Mountaineers; West Virginia University
  https://urc.orgs.wvu.edu/

• Team RoSE (Robotic Space Exploration); University of Hawaii at Manoa

• Yonder Dynamics; UC San Diego
  https://yonderdynamics.org/#/

ProtoSpace Mfg Returns as Sponsor for 2025 University Rover Challenge (October 8, 2024)

The Mars Society is proud to welcome ProtoSpace Mfg, the aerospace division of Protocase Inc., back as a major sponsor of the world-renowned University Rover Challenge!

ProtoSpace Mfg tackles long supplier lead times that have become the norm in the aerospace and defense industries. It harnesses the unique mass custom manufacturing system pioneered by ProtoSpace Mfg to make custom parts and enclosures in 2-3 days, while also checking all of the boxes required in aerospace and defense, including AS9100, traceability and ITAR compliance. As with Protocase, the ProtoSpace Mfg division never requires a minimum order.

“We are thrilled to be returning to the University Rover Challenge as a major sponsor – and to be celebrating our tenth year of support,” says Allison MacDonald, Marketing Manager for ProtoSpace Mfg. “By providing support to the competition and student teams with our fast custom manufacturing, we take great pride in the fact that we can help students accelerate their rover development and push the boundaries of innovation. We can’t wait to see what teams come up with this year!”

Instead of using critical design time and effort taking off-the-shelf enclosures, parts and components and modifying them to fit their Mars rover design, all teams registered in the 2025 University Rover Challenge can deploy ProtoSpace Mfg’s state-of-the-art manufacturing to get the exact parts they require.

URC2025 ProtoSpace Mfg Sponsorship

• Each URC team will receive a $2,000 (USD) credit towards custom parts manufactured by ProtoSpace Mfg for its Mars rover.
  Note: This $2,000 (USD) credit will NOT count towards a team's rover budget limit

• All teams will receive a 50% discount on all custom parts manufactured beyond the $2,000 (USD) credit.

Check out The Journey of the University Rover Challenge, which documents the experience of URC teams who worked with Protocase during previous installments of the University Rover Challenge.

How Teams Can Work With ProtoSpace Mfg

Once a team is registered for the 2025 University Rover Challenge, team leads or other team members can email info@protocase.com to be connected with their designated account manager.

To learn more about ProtoSpace Mfg custom sheet metal fabrication and CNC Machining, check out the company’s website, Proto Tech Tip videos and blog. Additional details regarding the Protocase manufacturing process and important design guidelines will be available to teams in the coming weeks.