NASA And The Challenger Center Announce Naming Contest
- From: baalke@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:01:57 -0700 (PDT)
Oct. 22, 2008
Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761
sonja.r.alexander@xxxxxxxx
Rita Karl
Challenger Center for Space Science Education, Alexandria, Va.
703-535-1345
rkarl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
RELEASE: 08-267
NASA AND THE CHALLENGER CENTER ANNOUNCE NAMING CONTEST
WASHINGTON -- NASA and the Challenger Center for Space Education have
partnered to engage students in ongoing activities for one of NASA's
concepts for astronaut housing on the moon through a contest to name
a habitat in Antarctica. NASA currently is conducting a test of a
lightweight, durable, inflatable habitat on the cold, harsh landscape
of the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station.
The Challenger Center is organizing and conducting the "Name that
Habitat" competition for students in kindergarten through twelfth
grades from Oct 21 to Nov. 20, 2008. The Challenger Center will
recruit subject matter experts to serve as judges for the contest and
will provide prizes and other items for the winner and participants.
The winning name will be selected later this year and announced by
scientists in Antarctica in January 2009. Student, teachers and the
public will be able to follow the progress of inflatable habitat
activities throughout the project.
The habitat was funded through NASA's Innovative Partnership
Program's
Seed Fund initiative, with in-kind resource contributions by the
National Science Foundation and ILC Dover of Frederica, Del., the
manufacturer of the structure. An inflatable habitat is one of
several concepts being considered for astronaut housing on the moon.
The structure looks something like an inflatable backyard bounce
house
for children, but it is far more sophisticated. It is insulated,
heated and is pressurized, and has power. It offers 384 square feet
of living space and has, at its highest point, an 8-foot ceiling.
During the test period, sensors will allow engineers to monitor the
habitat's performance.
The contest helps NASA fulfill its mission to promote an interest in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. The
Challenger Center is an international, nonprofit educational
organization founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts lost
during the last flight of the space shuttle Challenger. The goal of
the organization is to foster student interest in careers in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics.
For more information about entering the Name that Habitat contest,
visit:
http://www.challenger.org/hab
The inflatable habitat is being developed under NASA's Innovative
Partnerships Program. For more information about the program, visit:
http://www.ipp.nasa.gov
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
-end-
.
- Prev by Date: NASA Returns to the Moon with Instruments on Indian Spacecraft (Chandrayaan-1)
- Next by Date: ESA Closes in on the Origin of Phobos
- Previous by thread: NASA Returns to the Moon with Instruments on Indian Spacecraft (Chandrayaan-1)
- Next by thread: ESA Closes in on the Origin of Phobos
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
