November 2005
3-2-1 lift off: Registration deadline approaching for UH Mars Rover competition
Houston-area students now have until Nov. 29 to submit entry forms for January event
HOUSTON, Nov. 22, 2005 – Hoping to heat up the competition, the University of Houston is giving Houston-area schools until Tuesday, Nov. 29 to enter the Fourth Annual Mars Rover Competition.
Bright young minds of Houston are encouraged to develop and showcase their own version of a working Mars Rover. Through this contest, scheduled for Jan. 21, 2006, area primary and middle school students will develop a vehicular model designed with a specific mission intended to be carried out in the harsh realm of the Red Planet. Team entries will be classified as free form, radio-control or solar power and are to be constructed for a cost of $10-$25. Last year, more than 260 students from 23 schools participated in the event. Event planners hope to exceed those numbers this year.
"We hope the competition will spark interest in the fields of science and engineering," said Edgar Bering, professor of physics and electrical and computer engineering at UH. "We have a shortage of American children entering college who intend to major in science or engineering. This presents a major long-term threat to the future of the American economy. The challenge for educators is convincing elementary school students that science and engineering are exciting, relevant and accessible career paths. Events like this help by offering hands-on projects that provide very true-to-life results that encourage children to take learning beyond the textbook."
Visit http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/MarsRover for an entry form or contact Bering at [email protected] or 713-743-3543.
WHAT:
Fourth Annual Mars Rover Competition
WHO:
University of Houston and the Houston section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
WHEN:
Registration Deadline – Tuesday, Nov. 29
Event – noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006
WHERE:
University of Houston
University Center
Houston Room
Entrance 1
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