Information for Teams
John Culton, Director of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, welcomes all students and teams who are participating in the Australian Rover Challenge.
A/Prof John Culton
Director, Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources
Welcome! On behalf of the Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources, I am pleased to welcome you to the Australian Rover Challenge.
While the ultimate focus of our Centre is to support long-term human presence beyond low-earth orbit, we know that our astronauts will necessarily be preceded, and then accompanied by, significant numbers and varied types of remotely operated or semi-autonomous robots.
Thus, initiatives to further develop an Australian competency in this sector align perfectly with our Centre’s mission.
We are endeavouring to deliver a highly rewarding and globally unique challenge series. Importantly, the skill sets developed in support of this challenge are becoming increasingly relevant as efforts to develop infrastructure required to support long-duration human operations in deep space steadily gain support from programs such as NASA’s Artemis. Once again, welcome to Adelaide and the Australian Rover Challenge. We are looking forward to seeing what you and your rovers can accomplish.
Registrations for the 2025 Australian Rover Challenge are now closed.
The 2025 ARCh will run from Thursday 27th – Sunday 30th March 2025, at the University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus
This is the second time the Australian Rover Challenge has been held at the Roseworthy Campus. To help navigate your way out to Roseworthy, and to assist you in planning your visit and stay here in Adelaide, we have gathered some useful links and information.
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Adelaide, South Australia
Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is one of the worlds’ most liveable cities. Its vibrant and charming destination offers a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural experiences, and a relaxed lifestyle, and is home to the Australian Space Agency.
Wanting to know more about Adelaide? Visit the South Australian Tourism Commission or Experience Adelaide websites for further information on what to see and do while you're in Adelaide.
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Roseworthy Campus
The University of Adelaide's purpose-built course this year is at the University’s Roseworthy Campus, approximately 60kms north of the city centre, Mudla Wirra Rd, Roseworthy.
The Roseworthy campus is the major centre for South Australia’s animal and veterinary science research and teaching and home to the new Exterres Analogue Facility.
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Transportation and parking
There are several options for transportation to and from the University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus, either from the Adelaide CBD, or Gawler City Centre.
By car
From the Adelaide CBD the drive is approximately 45 – 60 minutes depending on the time of the day and traffic conditions.
From Gawler the drive is approximately 15 - 25 minutes depending on the time of the day and traffic conditions.
There are several rental car companies in Adelaide. Some companies have small buses and people movers in their fleet.
There is ample free parking on site close (approximately 5-minute walk) to the competition site.
There will be a dedicated unloading zone in the competition vicinity for each team.
By train
The train from the Adelaide Railway Station to Gawler Central Railway Station (train service GAWC) takes about an hour. You will still then need to make your way to Roseworthy Campus.
Fares can be purchased using the Adelaide Metro tap and pay onboard validators with a Visa or Mastercard (credit/debit card or an enabled smart phone or device).
For further information, contact the Adelaide Metro InfoLine
Phone 1300 311 108 or visit them at Adelaide Railway Station, North Terrace, Adelaide 7am – 8pm every day.
A taxi or rideshare from Gawler to Roseworthy will take 15 - 25 minutes depending on the time of the day and traffic conditions.
Gawler Taxi’s Phone (08) 8523 1366. This option may provide limited capacities.
By Taxi / Rideshare;
Both Uber and Adelaide Taxi Service can conveniently take you to Roseworthy, though it’s important to be mindful of potential expenses, and potential challenges getting back to Adelaide due to limited services in the region. It may be worthwhile pre-booking either taxi or rideshare services ahead of time if you know your departure time to ensure guaranteed service.
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Accommodation
A wide variety of accommodation can be found in Adelaide city, however if staying in Adelaide we recommend staying on the Northern side of the city where you can easily access the Northern Connector Highway (the side of the city towards Roseworthy Campus).
Gawler is the closest town to Roseworthy Campus (approx. 10km away) and offers a limited number of accommodation options.
For more information on accommodation, see below.
Gawler Visitor Information Centre
South Australian Tourism Commission
2025 key dates
| 19 August 2024 | Rules and requirements released. |
| 23 August 2024 | Team registration opens |
| 5 September 2024 | Critical Design Review (CDR) released |
| 11 September 2024 | Team registration closes |
| 30 October 2024 |
CDR due System Acceptance Review (SAR), and Cost Report Guidelines released |
| 5 February 2025 | Distributed Field Test (DFT) |
| 12 February 2025 | SAR and video due |
| 12 March 2025 | Cost report due |
| 27 March 2025 | 2025 Australian Rover Challenge competition commences |
| 30 March 2025 |
2025 Australian Rover Challenge competition concludes |
Dates may be adjusted at the discretion of the judges. In this case, an announcement will be made to all registered teams in advance, and a new version of this document with updated dates will be published.