NASA conducting contest to name the next Mars rover

NASA is looking for a partner to conduct a contest among students to name the space agency’s next rover to the Red Planet. The Mars 2020 rover mission in the academic year 2019 is very important, it will address key questions about the potential for life on Mars.

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Corporations and educational organisations who want to sponsor the contest can send proposals to NASA. Proposals must be received by October 9 to be considered, NASA said in a statement on Friday.

“We’ve been doing naming contests since the very first Mars rover back in 1997,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, in Washington. “Thousands of kids participate, and their enthusiasm for the contest and Mars is infectious,” Zurbuchen said.

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The selected partner will have an opportunity to be part of a historic mission, NASA said. 

The next Mars rover launch is targeted for August 2020 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.