It revolved around the NASA missions to Mars[2][3] with the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.

Teams were tasked with choosing a mission model, researching a question about it, and finding a creative solution.

In each 2+1⁄2-minute match, a team competes on each field with their robot to earn up to 400 points manipulating the mission models.

One of the mission models, the Alliance Habitation Module, straddles both fields in the center.

[5] The touch penalty objects are four boulders, worth up to 14 points each depending on location.