European Rover Challenge 2026 to be held in Kraków

The European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2026 is scheduled to take place from September 4–6 at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. Organized by the European Space Foundation and AGH, the event will feature 25 finalist teams selected from 124 applicants representing 29 countries.

The competition simulates conditions found in the Hellas Planitia crater on Mars, a region of interest for potential liquid water and future exploration. Participants will test their Mars rovers on a specialized track known as the ‘Marsyard,’ performing tasks inspired by real-world missions conducted by agencies such as NASA and ESA.

Among the competitors are two teams from the Warsaw University of Technology: KNR Rover Team and SKA Robotics. The SKA Robotics team plans to debut new technologies, including an improved science module and a drilling mechanism designed for subsurface sampling.