For the Science Mission, our rover must be able to collect soil samples as well as test soil and rock samples for signs of extinct and extant life. Currently, our main system for extant life testing uses ATP Luminometry, which tests for the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a compound found in all currently-discovered life forms. This works similar to how a firefly emits light! In order to test a sample our robotic arm uses sterile swabs and testing plates to pick up a sample, introduce the chemicals, and test for the amount of light emitted.

If you would like to see all the requirements on this challenge, please check out URC’s Requirements & Guidelines document (https://urc.marssociety.org/home/requirements-guidelines)