News media are invited on Thursday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to noon EDT, to cover NASA’s 2018 Robotic Mining Competition (RMC) at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 16-18. Center Director, Bob Cabana, will be available for one-on-ones from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the RMC Arena.

That same day, from noon to 2 p.m., media may also cover a special NASA’s Women in STEM Networking Forum for RMC participants in the Astronauts Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education building located on visitor complex grounds.

Media interested in obtaining access to cover NASA’s 2018 Robotic Mining Competition, click here to RSVP.

NASA’s Women in STEM Networking Forum, click here to RSVP

NASA RMC will feature more than 45 teams of undergraduate and graduate students from throughout the nation competing their self-designed and –built, autonomously-operated robots to traverse simulated Martian terrain and excavate simulated Martian regolith. Robots will go head-to-head to determine which machine can collect and move the most regolith within a specified amount of time.

NASA’s Women in STEM Networking Forum will facilitate discussions between more than 40 female NASA engineers and scientists and several hundred RMC student participants about career paths in science, technology, engineering and math.

The Robotic Mining Competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in the STEM fields by expanding opportunities for student research and design. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions with potential use on the Moon and other deep space destinations, including Mars.

For more information on the competition, associated activities and social media links to participate virtually, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasarmc

Video highlights of the practice and competition will air on the NASA Television Video File. For downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

For information about Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit:

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com