INTERNATIONAL SPACE DRONE CHALLENGE - 2025
Challenging university students to conceptualise, design, develop and operate an astronaut-assistive next-generation space drone and perform specific missions in Mars simulated conditions.
Date
Jan 31 - Feb 2, 2025
Venue
BITS Pilani, Goa, India
New Feature
Onboard Science Module
About the Competition
Space drones provide multiple advantages over rovers, such as better reach and range. It is easier for drones to reach places off-limit to the rovers. In addition to solo exploration, the drones can act as wings to the rover and explore together.
The objective of the competition is to provide students with a real-world interdisciplinary engineering experience, combining practical engineering skills with soft skills, including business planning and project management.
Competition Missions
Mission 1: SCIENCE MISSION
The mission involves deploying drones to collect atmospheric data and detailed images from three locations at different elevations, simulating Martian conditions. Teams will analyze and compare findings with Mars' atmosphere and present their results to judges.
Mission 2: NAVIGATION MISSION
The drone will guide a fictitious Mars rover to optimal paths while avoiding obstacles like craters, rocks, and loose soil. It must locate orange marker cones (up to 400m from the base station) and map the best routes, earning points for marker identification and path planning.
Mission 3: PIMA
Teams will present their drone development journey to judges, focusing on system engineering, project management, and lessons learned. The presentation will include planning, manufacturing, testing, and potential spin-offs, with opportunities for judges to ask detailed questions.