Nameless Mars Rover 2020 needs a name: ESA announces contest

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
The yet to be named rover is part of the ExoMars mission to probe the conditions related to the possibility of life on red planet
The yet to be named rover is part of the ExoMars mission to probe the conditions related to the possibility of life on red planet

New Delhi : The European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Rover needs a name, do you have any! Before its launch in 2020, the vehicle has to be named and as such, the agency has launched a competition for the crowd.  By getting adequate source ideas for the vehicle and judging the competitions in Europe, the ESA will possibly give yet another Boaty McBoatface.

The yet to be named rover is part of the ExoMars mission to probe the red planet’s conditions related to the possibility of life. The rover will be the first of its kind to drill into Mars to collect samples for its robotic laboratory, using solar panels to generate electrical power. On July 20, a British astronaut Tim Peake announced the competition at the Farnborough International Airshow, opening the luck of the revolutionary rover’s title to the general public.

Following are the rules that participants has to follow in the Mars Rover naming contest

  • Every entrant only gets one submission and must include a short explanation for their choice. 
  • Submitted names can be a single word, a short combination of words, or an acronym. 
  • The rover can’t be named after a past mission, nor can it be named after a person still living. 
  • Conversely, it can be named after a person who died before October 10, 1993

While Boaty McBoatface was a product of the British people’s efforts, this competition is open to all residents of ESA member states and associate member states. 

People from the European countries like Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK, and one non-European country Canada can participate in the contest.

Last date for submission of ideas is October 10, 2018. 

Once the submission is closed, a panel of experts will read each submission and select the winner. Winner of the competition will not only see their namesake land on Mars in March 2021 but will be awarded a trip to the Airbus factory where the rover was built.

“Now is your chance to be a part of the mission by choosing the name,” reads the introduction before entering the competition. The innovation onboard the ExoMars Rover solidifies its place in space history, giving the public a rare opportunity to take part in that legacy.

Good luck!