Pedro Duque, the first Spaniard in space, will be a special guest at this year’s European Rover Challenge (ERC). The final of the international Mars rover competition will take place from 9 to 11 September at the Kielce University of Technology.

It is another time when the ERC organisers are bringing to Poland titled astronauts who have crossed the Kármán line, the conventional boundary between Earth and space.

“In previous years, we have hosted Harrison Schmitt, NASA astronaut and member of the last mission to the Moon, and Tim Peake, an astronaut of the European Space Agency. They are true legends, so we are not surprised that the meetings with them are always very popular and packed with questions from an enthusiastic audience”, says Mateusz Józefowicz of the European Space Foundation.

A total of 30 teams from 10 countries have qualified for the ERC finals. The list includes representatives from four continents: Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

This year’s ERC is co-organised by the European Space Foundation, the Kielce University of Technology and the Marshall Office of the Kielce Voivodship. The role of the Host City for the event is assumed by the City of Kielce. The event is under the honorary patronage of the European Space Agency, the International Astronautical Federation and the Association of Space Sector Employers.

Supporting partners include US Consulate in Krakow, the United Nations in Vienna, Peace Patrol and Pyramid Games. Prize sponsors are Mastercam and Occupy Mars: The Game. Partners of the event are the Polish Space Agency, European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA), International Space University (ISU), MathWorks, Association of Polish Space Professionals (PSPA), Mars Society Poland,

Arkadiusz Słomczyński