- NASA has selected nine finalists for its Mars 2020 rover naming competition.
- The names were selected from over 28,000 "Name the Rover" essays submitted by students from around the world by August 28, 2019.
- Rover enthusiasts can cast their ballot for the final name here.
NASA has released a list of nine finalists for their Mars 2020 rover naming contest. Over 28,000 names were submitted by elementary, middle school, and high school students from around the world. A panel of 4,700 judges narrowed the list down to 155.
Here they are:
- Endurance
- Tenacity
- Promise
- Perseverance
- Vision <---- PICK THIS ONE.
- Clarity
- Ingenuity
- Fortitude
- Courage
See a name you like, now you can weigh in. NASA's poll opens today and will end at 9 p.m. PST on Jan. 27. The contest is already heated:
Whatever name is the winner (ahem Vision), it'll join other famous Martian monikers like Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Insight, and Sojourner.
We're just happy it's not Rovey McRoverface.
Jennifer Leman is a science journalist and senior features editor at Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and Bicycling. A graduate of the Science Communication Program at UC Santa Cruz, her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Scientific American, Science News and Nature. Her favorite stories illuminate Earth's many wonders and hazards.
