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Resources // Media & press

Press
kit.

Facts, ready-to-use descriptions, photos and logos for journalists, sponsors and collaborators — free for editorial use with credit.

Press photos Brand assets
ERC 2026 finals
17thof 25 finalists · 124 teams registered
Final score
1492.25of 3000 points
Departments
08student engineering teams
Next rover
Leap-2Project 02 · in development
Fact sheet / 01

The record, in one place.

Checked against the organisers’ official ERC 2026 results sheet. Copy the whole sheet into your notes in one click.

Official name
HSM Aries (also written HSM Aries.space)
Home
Hochschule Schmalkalden, Blechhammer 9, 98574 Schmalkalden, Thuringia, Germany
Affiliation
Chair of Drive, Automation, and Robotics Technologies, Hochschule Schmalkalden
Rovers
LEAP-One — Project 01, ERC 2026 finalist · Leap-2 — Project 02, in development
Latest result
ERC 2026 finals, AGH University, Kraków, 4–6 September 2026 — 17th of 25 finalists, from 124 registered teams · 1492.25 of 3000 points
Photo credit
Photo: HSM Aries (hsmaries.space)
Descriptions / 02

Ready to paste.

A short and a long description in English and German. Use them as they are, or shorten them — please keep the figures unchanged.

English
Short · ~50 words

HSM Aries is the student space-robotics team of Hochschule Schmalkalden, Germany. Its first planetary rover, LEAP-One, finished 17th at the European Rover Challenge 2026 finals in Kraków — from a starting field of 124 registered teams — on the team’s first ERC appearance. Leap-2, the next rover, is in development.

Long · ~150 words

HSM Aries is the student space-robotics initiative of the Chair of Drive, Automation, and Robotics Technologies at Hochschule Schmalkalden in Thuringia, Germany. Undergraduate and postgraduate students from eight departments — mechanical, electrical, software and autonomy, communications, drill and manipulator, drone, science, and mission resources and outreach — design, build and field planetary rovers in the LEAP series.

LEAP-One, Project 01, is a six-wheel rocker-bogie rover with a six-axis robotic arm and a 530 mm sampling drill. At the European Rover Challenge 2026 finals at AGH University in Kraków (4–6 September 2026) it finished 17th of 25 finalist teams, from a starting field of 124 registered teams, with 1492.25 of 3000 points — 4th in documentation and 6th in navigation droning. It was the team’s first ERC appearance, achieved without major sponsorship. Leap-2, Project 02, is in development.

Deutsch
Kurz · ca. 50 Wörter

HSM Aries ist das studentische Raumfahrtrobotik-Team der Hochschule Schmalkalden. Sein erster Planetenrover LEAP-One belegte beim Finale der European Rover Challenge 2026 in Krakau Platz 17 – aus einem Starterfeld von 124 angemeldeten Teams, bei der ersten ERC-Teilnahme des Teams. Der nächste Rover, Leap-2, ist in Entwicklung.

Lang · ca. 150 Wörter

HSM Aries ist die studentische Raumfahrtrobotik-Initiative am Chair of Drive, Automation, and Robotics Technologies der Hochschule Schmalkalden in Thüringen. Studierende aus Bachelor- und Masterstudiengängen entwerfen, bauen und testen in acht Abteilungen – Mechanik, Elektrik, Software und Autonomie, Kommunikation, Bohrer und Manipulator, Drohne, Wissenschaft sowie Ressourcen und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit – Planetenrover der LEAP-Serie.

LEAP-One, Projekt 01, ist ein sechsrädriger Rocker-Bogie-Rover mit einem sechsachsigen Roboterarm und einem 530-mm-Probenbohrer. Beim Finale der European Rover Challenge 2026 an der AGH-Universität Krakau (4.–6. September 2026) belegte er Platz 17 von 25 Finalteams, aus einem Starterfeld von 124 angemeldeten Teams, mit 1492,25 von 3000 Punkten – Platz 4 in der Dokumentation und Platz 6 im Navigation Droning. Es war die erste ERC-Teilnahme des Teams, erreicht ohne großes Sponsoring. Leap-2, Projekt 02, ist in Entwicklung.

Press photos / 03

From the Mars yard.

Full-resolution originals from the ERC 2026 finals and Space Night 2026. Editorial use is free with the credit “Photo: HSM Aries (hsmaries.space)”. For commercial use, please ask first.

  • LEAP-One crosses the sand and rock of the Mars yard with its arm raised and a marker on its mast.

    LEAP-One crosses the sand and rock of the Mars yard with its arm raised and a marker on its mast.

    JPG 3840 × 2880
  • LEAP-One climbs the rocky slope with its suspension articulating over the stones.

    LEAP-One climbs the rocky slope with its suspension articulating over the stones.

    JPG 2880 × 3840
  • The team gathers around LEAP-One on the Mars yard with the German and Thuringian flags.

    The team gathers around LEAP-One on the Mars yard with the German and Thuringian flags.

    JPG 3840 × 2560
  • LEAP-One climbs the gravel with the team’s quadcopter riding on its deck.

    LEAP-One climbs the gravel with the team’s quadcopter riding on its deck.

    JPG 3840 × 2880
  • The crew huddles around the control-station monitor in the pit tent, the table draped in the Thuringian and German flags.

    The crew huddles around the control-station monitor in the pit tent, the table draped in the Thuringian and German flags.

    JPG 3840 × 2880
  • The gripper operates the switches on the maintenance panel.

    The gripper operates the switches on the maintenance panel.

    JPG 1920 × 2560
  • A team member presents LEAP-One's mobility results during the team presentation in the lecture hall.

    A team member presents LEAP-One's mobility results during the team presentation in the lecture hall.

    JPG 3840 × 2880
  • The team lines up on the steps with the German flag, LEAP-One carrying the quadcopter in front.

    The team lines up on the steps with the German flag, LEAP-One carrying the quadcopter in front.

    JPG 3840 × 2880
  • The team gathers around LEAP-One on the HSM Aries stand at Space Night 2026.

    The team gathers around LEAP-One on the HSM Aries stand at Space Night 2026.

    JPG 3840 × 3177

More in the field gallery. The rover itself can be explored in 3D in the LEAP-One CAD viewer.

Logos / 04

The mark, ready to place.

Transparent PNGs. The brand page has every version, the mission patches, colours and usage rules.

Press contact / 05

Interviews, visits, footage.

For interviews with the team, lab visits, high-resolution renders or anything not in this kit, write to hsmariesleapone@gmail.com. Logos may not be altered; images are free for editorial coverage with credit.

Email the team Contact page