High School Students Create Winning Design for NASA's First Flight of
Orion
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NASA’s Administrator, Charles Bolden (left), Marillyn Hewson, President/CEO
of Lockheed Martin (right), and astronaut Rex Walheim (back) stand with Team
ARES, from the Governors School for Science and Technology in Hampton, Va. ,
winners of the Exploration Design Challenge high school competition.
Image Credit: NASA
After a year-long competition among high school teams across the country,
evaluators from NASA, Lockheed Martin and the National Institute of Aerospace
have selected Team ARES, from the Governor’s School for Science and
Technology in Hampton, Va., as the winner of the high school portion of the
Exploration Design Challenge (EDC).
The announcement Friday came during a ceremony held at the opening of the
2014 USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington. Team ARES was chosen
from a group of five finalist teams announced in March.
The EDC was developed to engage students in science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) by inviting them to help tackle one of the most significant
dangers of human space flight -- radiation exposure.
"This is a great day for Team ARES – you have done a remarkable job," said
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who helped announce the winning team. He
continued, "I really want to congratulate all of our finalists. You are
outstanding examples of the power of American innovation. Your passion for
discovery and the creative ideas you have brought forward have made us think
and have helped us take a fresh look at a very challenging problem on our
path to Mars."
Team ARES now will work with the NASA and Lockheed Martin spacecraft
integration team to have the product of their experimental design approved
for spaceflight. Once the equipment is approved, engineers will install it
onto Orion’s crew module. Later this year, when Orion launches into orbit
during Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), Lockheed Martin will host Team ARES
at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch their experiment launch
into space.
During the EFT-1, Orion will fly through the Van Allen Belt, a dense
radiation field that surrounds the Earth in a protective shell of
electrically charged ions. Understanding and mitigating radiation exposure
during Orion’s flight test can help scientists develop protective solutions
before the first crewed mission. After EFT-1, the students will receive data
indicating how well their design protected a dosimeter, an instrument used
for measuring radiation exposure.
Speaking at the U.S.A Science and Engineering Festival, Lockheed Martin
Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson said, “The Exploration Design
Challenge has already reached 127,000 students worldwide – engaging them in
real-world engineering challenges and igniting their imaginations about the
endless possibilities of space discovery.”
Students around the world in grades K-12 still can be part of Orion’s first
flight by completing an online radiation shielding activity. Students who
complete the activity by June 30 will have their names flown as virtual crew
members aboard Orion.
To learn more about the EDC and related activities, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/edcTo learn more about NASA's education programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/educationTo learn more about Orion and the EFT-1 mission, visit:
http://lockheedmartin.com/orionand
http://www.nasa.gov/orion
