University of Costa Rica students compete in Nevada aerospace contest

Eight engineering students from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) are competing in the A Rocket Launch for International Student Satellites (ARLISS) competition in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

The team, known as Jade, is presenting ‘Proyecto Lázaro’ (Project Lazarus), an autonomous two-wheeled rover built using aluminum and 3D-printed components. The mission involves five distinct phases: rocket launch to an altitude of approximately 3.4 to 3.7 kilometers, deployment, landing, autonomous navigation, and a final task of transporting and placing a flag.

As the only Central American delegation in this edition, the UCR team is competing against more than 15 international groups. The project integrates custom electronics, sensors, and telemetry to ensure the vehicle can navigate harsh desert terrain without human intervention.