Written by Rachel Farrell | Posted February 2025
In 2018, a small group of BU engineering students set out to build a state-of-the-art Mars rover. In a few weeks, that dream will finally come true.
The BU Mars Rover Club is putting the finishing touches on their 150-pound rover, which is designed to navigate uneven terrain, analyze soil samples for signs of life, and use a robotic arm to tinker with an electrical panel, says Abdulaziz M. A. M. Almailam (ENG’24,’26), president of the club. In May, he and his teammates will transport the rover to the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanskville, Utah, where they’ll compete in the 2025 University Rover Challenge.
“Going to the competition is a big thing,” explains Almailam, who has belonged to the club for four years. “We have a lot of people and stakeholders that want to see this realized.”
From president to advocate
One reason the team is nearing its goal is due to Almailam’s efforts. Last year, he served as an advocate for BU Giving Day and raised $2,485 from 165 donors for the BU Mars Rover Club. The team used a portion of the funds raised to purchase components for the rover. And, in keeping with BU’s philosophy of a “societal engineer,” they also set aside funds to perform a community service.
“We bought close to 100 toys and adapted their switches though reverse-engineering, so kids with limited motor functions could play with them,” Almailam says. “And then we donated them to the nonprofit Easterseals, who distributed them to families with these kids.”
This Giving Day, Almailam will again step up as an advocate, this time with a bigger fundraising goal in mind. He wants to raise enough funds to cover the costs of his team’s trip to Utah, including the cost of transporting the rover by car or truck.
“This is the last step,” Alamilam says. “Getting there would put a smile on all of our faces.”
Check the Club’s latest and greatest rover, ROSS!
Your giving matters—especially on BU Giving Day! Sign up to be an advocate or make an early gift to the BU program, initiative, or cause you care about before April 9, 2025.