WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says online public voting will be used to help it select one of nine names for its next Mars mission's rover.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the non-binding voting will begin Monday, with votes accepted through March 29.
More than 9,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grades submitted essays proposing names for the rover in a nationwide contest that ended Jan. 25. NASA will select the winning name, based on a student's essay and the public poll, announcing the name in April.
The student who submitted the winning name will be invited to Jet Propulsion Laboratory to sign the rover.
Scheduled to launch in 2011 and land on Mars in 2012, the rover will use advanced science instruments to check whether the environment in the landing area ever has supported microbial life.
