URC News

2027 University Rover Challenge Rules Released

September 22, 2026

The University Rover Challenge is excited to announce the release of the rules for URC2027!

Click here for the URC2027 rules.

Registration for the 2027 competition will open on October 1, 2026, and will close on October 30, 2026. All registered teams will be required to submit a Preliminary Design Review package by December 2, 2026, and a System Acceptance Review milestone will follow on March 5, 2027. The top 36 teams will be selected to compete in the 2027 University Rover Challenge Finals, held June 2-5, 2027 at the renowned Mars Desert Research Station.

Teams and rovers will compete in 4 missions in 2027: the Astrobiology Mission, Delivery Mission, Equipment Servicing Mission, and Autonomy Mission.