A space resembling the surface of Mars has been created on the grounds of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. The reproduced landscape, known as Mars Yard, will be used to stage the Martian rover competition as part of this year’s European Rover Challenge (ERC) space robotics event scheduled between September 6 and 8.
Work on the several-hundred-ton structure, measuring nearly 900 square meters, has been continuing for the past few months with the participation of more than a dozen people: planetary geologists, logistics experts and competition organizers.
The geological model of the Red Planet surface created in the vicinity of the Department of Applied Physics and Computer Science, called Mars Yard, is a place where future space engineers can learn how to safely operate on the surface of another planet with the Martian robots they have constructed. This is a main goal of the European Rover Challenge, a prestigious space robotics event organized for 10 years in Poland by the European Space Foundation. This year, for the first time the ERC edition will be held in Cracow, with 27 student teams from 12 countries competing on a Martian track. The Cracow track, unlike previous editions, recreates a different part of Mars.
Mars Yard is constructed from several hundred tons of red porphyry from the Zalas mine near Cracow. According to the constructors, the rock perfectly reflects some of the properties of the Martian surface.
This year’s European Rover Challenge will be held September 6-8 at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. The event is open to all fans of Mars, space and space technology. This edition of the ERC, thanks to a partnership with the European Union Space Program Agency (EUSPA), will also feature one of eight European meetings of the ASSINI Matchmaking networking platform, which supports space startups.
The organizers of the 10th edition of the European Rover Challenge are the European Space Foundation and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. The project is financed by funds from the state budget, allocated by the Minister of Science.
The European Rover Challenge (ERC) is an annual international competition of Martian robots, with participation of teams from all over the world. The competition, like the University Rover Challenge, is part of the Rover Challenge Series – a league of the world’s most prestigious robotics competitions. The ERC is also the largest space robotics event in Europe aimed at the world of science and business, the new technology sector and the general public. The competition has been held annually in Poland since 2014.
