Local student selected as finalist for ‘Name the Rover’ contest for NASA

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Local middle school student Nora Benitez has been selected as one of nine finalists for the Mars 2020 “Name the Rover” contest.

Nora’s name entered the next round of consideration to become the official name of the Mars 2020 rover. Her entry, and the other remaining eight names, are up for public vote at Go.nasa.gov/name2020.

The suggested name, Clarity, and Nora’s essay can be viewed at https://www.futureengineers.org/nametherover/gallery/18788.

The Mars 2020 Rover has entered the final stages of preparation for launch. The currently unnamed Mars 2020 Rover is a robotic scientist weighing more than 2,300 pounds. It will search for signs of past microbial life, characterize the planet’s climate and geology, collect samples for future return to Earth, and pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. The spacecraft is targeted for a July 2020 launch and is expected to touch down on Mars in February 2021.