Digital Desk: According to a press statement, two Indian student groups from Punjab and Tamil Nadu have won the NASA 2022 Human Exploration Rover Challenge.
The challenge, which was
announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during a virtual
awards ceremony on April 29, drew 91 teams from 58 institutions and 33
secondary schools.
The competition
required student teams from the United States and throughout the world to
design, create, and test a human-powered rover on a track that simulated the
topography seen on rocky worlds throughout the solar system. The teams
accomplished mission duties such as sample retrievals and spectrographic
analysis while negotiating the course.
"This year,
students were instructed to build a course that would imitate obstacles as if
they were competing in Huntsville," Aundra Brooks-Davenport, the
challenge's activity lead, said on Tuesday.
"The safety of
the squad was a primary consideration when designing their own obstacles. We're
looking forward to the virtual competition and the opportunities it has
afforded our teams "According to Brooks-Davenport.
The STEM Engagement Award in the High School division went to Punjab's Decent Children Model Presidency School. According to the statement, the team from Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu was named the winner of the Social Media Award in the College/University section.