MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. More than 250 students and young faculty members from eight countries will conduct an autonomous space mission at newly built Martian research stations as part of the first International Space Games, being held at the Skolkovo Innovation Center, the Skolkovo Foundation’s press service reported.

“Skolkovo was established specifically to support innovative projects, including those in education and workforce training, so the choice of venue for the first International Space Games was deliberate. For over 15 years, an environment has been taking shape here where universities, startups, and technology companies work alongside one another. <…> If new solutions and projects result from these Games, we are ready to support them.

Our space technology cluster already comprises more than 50 companies, and new teams will have partners to work with here,” Natalia Kravchenko, advisor to the chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation’s board, noted.

The first expedition will start on October 27, and the Space Games will end on November 1. Teams from Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, and Uzbekistan will spend 48 hours working completely autonomously while tackling engineering and technological challenges. Participants from China, India, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan will then resume the mission. The main objective of the competition is to ensure the continuous functioning of an autonomous settlement on another planet through collaborative efforts.

The Games are being held under the Talent for Space federal project. The Russian National Research University Higher School of Economics is the event’s organizer, while the Skolkovo Foundation serves as the partner and host. The Russian Science and Higher Education Ministry and Roscosmos are coordinating the Games.