Vote for favorite name of NASA Mars Science Lab

William Atkins
Friday, 20 March 2009 02:45

Science - Space

After nine favorite names were selected by grade school students for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, now it is your turn to vote for your favorite one, which will become the new name for  NASA's new robotic rover mission to planet Mars.


The world-wide voting begins soon on Earth—in fact it starts on Monday, March 23, 2009, and ends six days later, on March 29.

The NASA website for the voting of the Mars Science Lab (MSL)—beginning on Monday, March 23—is: http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov .

The winning name will be announced on around April 16, 2009.

The NASA article Online Poll for NASA's Mars Rover Naming Contest Opens March 23 states that, “More than 9,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades submitted essays proposing names for the rover in a nationwide contest that ended Jan. 25. Entries came from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the families of American service personnel overseas."

And, most importantly, "NASA will select the winning name, based on a student's essay and the public poll, and announce the name in April.”

Michelle Viotti, who is the manager in charge of the Mars Public Engagement program at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, stated, "The names that students proposed range from heroes to animals and bugs. No matter what name is finally chosen, this is a mission for everyone, and we can't wait to start calling this rover by name."

What will thE student receive for submitting the winning name for MSL? Read page two for the information. And, find out how you can send your name to Mars, hitching a ride with the new Mars rover.