USU Mars Rover Team Places Among Top Teams in International Rover Challenge
The Utah State University Mars Rover Team made their in-person debut at the international University Rover Challenge where they placed 27th overall.
The USU Mars Rover team at the University Rover Challenge in Hanksville, Utah on May 30, 2025.
"We are extremely happy with our performance in this year's University Rover Challenge," said McLean Jones, team member of the USU Mars Rover Team. "We've left a mark, set a bar and started a tradition that future teams will build on. Go Aggies!"
During the finals, USU placed:
- 16th in the Science Mission
- 21st in the Equipment Servicing Mission
- 27th in the Delivery Mission
USU's Mars Rover, Sophia, navigating the Equipment Servicing Mission during the competition.
The team earned a total of 213.28 points, finishing 27th overall.
To qualify for the challenge, teams were required to submit a detailed technical report and a video showcasing their rover's capabilities. A record-breaking 114 teams from 15 countries entered the competition. Of those, only the top 38 were selected to advance to the finals, which concluded on May 31 at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah.
With fewer than 10 members, USU's team is significantly smaller than those from other universities, which often include between 50 and 100 participants. The team is led by Andres Buval, with mechanical engineering assistant professor Jackson Graham serving as their faculty advisor.
The University Rover Challenge is organized by The Mars Society, an international nonprofit human to Mars organization. This competition challenges teams to design and build cutting-edge Mars rovers that could one day work alongside astronauts in exploring the Red Planet.
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Writer: Madeline Buskirk, madeline.buskirk@usu.edu, 435-797-7512
Contact: Andres Buval, usu.seds@gmail.com