Inspiration Mars student design contest finalists selected

The Mars Society has selected finalists for the  International Student Design Competition for concepts related to the proposed Inspiration Mars Mission: Inspiration Mars Student Design Contest Finalists Announced – The Mars Society

The Mars Society announced today 10 finalists chosen from 38 engineering student teams competing in its International Inspiration Mars Student Design Contest. The requirement of the global competition is to design a two-person Mars flyby mission for 2018 as cheaply, safely and simply as possible. All other design variables are open. 

Each team competing was required to submit a 50-page design report, which provided the basis for a down-select first to 21 semifinalists and then to 10 finalists. The finalist teams will be invited to present and defend their designs before a panel of six judges chosen (two each) by the Mars Society, Inspiration Mars and NASA. The presentations will take place during a public event at NASA Ames Research Center in April 2014.

The finalists and their proposals are shown here. 

Commenting on the designs submitted by the competing teams, Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin said, “I expected an excellent response from the world’s engineering students to this challenge, but even so, I am amazed at the extraordinary strength and quality of the work set forth by these teams. Where some people have said that a low-cost two-person Mars flyby mission can’t be done in 2018, many of these teams have shown very clearly that it can. These designs will be of enormous benefit to Inspiration Mars or anyone else who is willing to step up and take on this challenge. They also show beyond question that around the world a new generation of terrific young engineers is waiting in the wings, ready to pick up and carry forward the banner of human space exploration when the time comes for them to take their turn. I look forward to final face-off between the teams at NASA Ames with great excitement. Let the best ideas win!” 

The first place team will receive a prize of $10,000, an all-expenses paid trip to the 2014 International Mars Society Convention to be held August 4-7 in Houston, Texas and a trophy to be presented by Dennis Tito at that event. Prizes of $5,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 will also be awarded for second through fifth place.