In its latest venture, NASA unveils a VR challenge designed to aid in preparing astronauts for their journey to Mars.

NASA has launched the MarsXR Challenge The objective? To utilize MarsXR— a digital illustration of the Martian landscape—to systematically prepare astronauts for their future missions.

MarsXR represents a detailed 400 square kilometer virtual model of the Martian surface. Unreal Engine In essence, it serves as an almost flawless digital twin of Mars, reimagined in a virtual space.

This initiative aims to attract developers who will enhance the Metaverse while also conducting crucial research in this exciting new realm of virtual reality. The ultimate aim is to create realistic extended reality (XR) experiences simulating life on Mars.

The competition will be segmented into five distinct categories: Establishing Camp, Scientific Exploration, Maintenance Tasks, Adventuring, and the imaginative segment dubbed 'Blow Our Minds.' Notably, winners in each category will be awarded $6,000.

Participants are tasked with crafting new assets and scenarios tailored for the Mars XR Operations Support System (XOSS). NASA intends to leverage the outcomes of these efforts to design specific scenarios pertaining to extravehicular activities (EVA), helping evaluate procedures and positioning tasks during Mars missions.

Space enthusiasts, tech innovators, and designers are invited to join this exciting challenge. The total prize money accounts for $70,000, which will be allocated among 20 participants, with four winners selected from each of the five categories.

All entries must be submitted by July 26th, 2022, before 11 PM CEST.

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