Article
The Mars yard constructed from hundreds of tons of red porphyry. Photograph: AGH University
As part of a competition for Martian rovers held in September on the AGH University campus, namely the European Rover Challenge (ERC), a special yard has been prepared, imitating the surface of the Red Planet. Owing to weeks of work of planetary geologists, logistics experts, and organisers, a several-hundred-tonne structure measuring almost 900 square metres has been created to serve as an arena for the teams competing within the 2024 ERC. Organised in Poland for the last 10 years by the European Space Agency, the event will debut in Krakow on the AGH University campus on 6-8 September.
The so-called Mars yard, a patch of the Red Planed emerged in close vicinity of the Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, is a place where future space engineers may learn how to safely operate on an extraterrestrial surface by self-made Martian rovers. This, among other things, is what this prestigious space rover event is all about. The 2024 edition is the first one to take place in Krakow.
The Mars yard has been constructed from hundreds of tons of red porphyry from a mine in Zalas. Found nearby Krakow, the rock perfectly imitates some of the properties of the Martian surface. A dozen of people, scientists, engineers, project partners, have been working on developing and preparing the surface of the Red Planet here, in Krakow.
“Transferring the surface of Mars to Krakow has been an engaging task and quite an extensive logistic operation. We started from theory months ago by analysing satellite images and choosing areas characteristic of Mars which could be replicated here on Earth. Currently, we are working on making the Mars yard as geologically realistic as possible, for it to be attractive and safe for the challenges undertaken by rovers,” Dr Anna Łosiak, planetary geologist and ERC’s Chief Science Officer, said.
This ERC edition is not only special due to the 10-year jubilee but also due to the change in location, both in Poland and on Mars. For the first time, the event is held in Krakow in cooperation with the AGH University which is to host the Martian rover challenge. As opposed to the previous editions, this one takes place in a different part of Mars than before.
“We used to get our inspirations from the northern locations on Mars, particularly from those where actual Martian missions have taken place. This year we have decided to move to a totally different spot and we will be working on the surface of Valles Marineris, the largest canyon in the Solar System, 4000 km long, 8 km deep, and 400 km wide. It’s a gigantic geological structure and one of the most interesting locations on Mars, especially in the context of research and its future, as it may be the location of a future Martian base,” Dr Łosiak told us.
Simultaneously to the rover challenge, there will be a popular science conference organised with specialists from world agencies and space companies. The experts will talk about the future of space exploration and settlement plans and show the impact of space technology on everyday life on Earth.
The event is open to all fans of Mars, space, and space technologies. Visitors will have an opportunity to step into the ERC Inspiration Zone, where the future of space exploration comes alive with free hands-on workshops and experiments. Due to the partnership with the EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), this year’s edition will see one of eight European CASSINI Matchmaking meetings, thus business guests should be able to find something for themselves. Such meetings make for a networking platform for the novice start-ups to receive support in the preparation to the meetings with investors and corporations, which will surely increase their ability to attract equity financing and establish partnerships.
The organisers of the 10th European Rover Challenge are the European Space Foundation and the AGH University. The ERC has received the honorary patronage of the Minister of Education, the European Space Agency (ESA), the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the Deputy Marshal of the Małopolska Region, and the Polish Space Industry Association (SPACE PL). The project is financed from national funds granted by the Minister of Education and Science within a programme aimed at raising social responsibility of science. Partners of the event are CASSINI Matchmaking, the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, Mars Society Polska, Polish Space Professionals Association (PSPA), MathWorks, 3Dconnexion, Pyramid Games, Pokojowy Patrol, Empiria i Wiedza Foundation, and Business in Małopolska, with financial support from the Malopolska Region. The partner supporting the construction of the Mars yard is the “Zalas” Porphyry Mine.
The European Rover Challenge (ERC) is an annual international competition of Martial rovers with participants from all over the globe. Same as the University Rover Challenge, the ERC is part of the Rover Challenge Series, league of the most prestigious rover competitions in the world. The ERC is the largest such an event in Europe directed to the world of science and business, the sector of new technologies, and the general public. The challenge has been organised in Poland since 2014.
AGH University team preparing the track. Photograph: AGH University
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