You might remember that last fall and winter, NASA held a contest for 5-18 year-olds to name the new Mars Rover. After reviewing 9,000 submissions, it was announced yesterday that the winning entry came from 12-year-old Kansas student Clara Ma. Curiosity will join Spirit and Opportunity in NASA’s fleet of Rovers that explore Mars’ rough terrain and provide detailed views of our neighboring planet.
In addition to having the Rover named with her winning submission, Clara has been invited to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California to sign her name on the actual Rover before it is sent off into space in 2011. There’s a section of Clara’s winning entry that I think is just awesome:
Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone’s mind. It makes me get out of bed in the morning and wonder what surprises life will throw at me that day. Curiosity is such a powerful force. Without it, we wouldn’t be who we are today.
I couldn’t agree more.
Even though the contest is over, there’s still a way to have your name as part of Curiosity’s mission in 2011. If you submit your name to NASA, they will include it on a microchip that will be sent to Mars with the Rover. I just did mine:
Congratulations to Clara and to all the students who submitted ideas for the Rover!! Can’t wait to see where Curiosity will take us next!
-Rabiah
p.s. – NASA, if you’re reading this, could you please hold another contest for grownups soon? I have some great ideas and would LOVE to come to California or Florida and see a working spacecraft up close…:-)
