ROADS on Icy Worlds (2021-2022)
ROADS on Icy Worlds National Student Challenge
The 2021–2022 challenge has closed! Thank you to all who participated.
Map of ROADS on Icy Worlds Student Teams (2021–2022)
Our ROADS program (Rover Observation And Drone Survey) is a framework that lets students explore STEM concepts through hands-on activities inspired by real NASA projects. Each year we update ROADS to tackle new science and engineering problems and to visit different destinations in the solar system. For the 2021–2022 challenge, ROADS on Icy Worlds invited students to investigate some of the most intriguing icy moons in our cosmic neighborhood.
STEM Concepts
All activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and helped students build skills in:
- Mission planning
- Communications
- Planetary dynamics
- Biological sampling & pH
- Astrobiology / biology
- Robotics
- Programming
Challenge Activities
Teams completed a sequence of mission tasks modeled on real planetary exploration:
- Create mission documentation
- Explore planetary dynamics and model a new object
- Design an experiment to test the limits of life
- Use provided calculations to create a custom map of an icy moon site
- Operate a drone to simulate space flight
- Use a robot to navigate their icy worlds map (robotics & programming)
Explore the ROADS on Icy Worlds Resources: