Category Archives: NASA

NASA Needs Student Designers

Lunar Exploration Tools and Tasks

Moon Tasks Contest Logo
Moon Tasks Contest Logo

NASA’s Solar System Missions Directorate is looking for a few good college students to submit designs for tools and instrument packages that might get used on future human-operated lunar rovers. So, they’re holding a Moontasks design contest.

The designs need to take into account all the factors lunar explorers will face:  navigating in darkness (at least part of the time), collecting dust and rock samples, establishing an outpost (and communicating their work to Earth), doing survey work, and survival issues. Designs and tools that can help astronauts deal with the pervasive effects of moon dust will be needed.

The contest is open to full-time students enrolled in accredited post-secondary institutions: universities, colleges, trade schools, community colleges and professional schools in the United States or its territories. Individuals or teams may apply, and interdisciplinary teams from across departments and institutions are encouraged.

NASA plans to invite contest winners to the next set of lunar technology mission tests planned for the summer or fall of 2009. Paid internships also are planned as student awards. The contest continues NASA’s tradition of investing in the nation’s education programs and ties into the agency’s goal of strengthening NASA and America’s future workforce.

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Twittering Across Space and Time

Real-time Updates

Okay, so I must be the last one in the cosmos to realize that several of NASA’s missions are Twittering to interested fans here on Earth. I heard about it somewhere, so I went out and got a Twitter account so I could get these updates from the Hubble mission crew, the Mars landers, and some future missions to the Moon. I have a few other Twitterers I’m following, and I’m sure there’ll be more.

Today I learned that LRO_NASA is working on some data acquisition and getting ready for some rehearsal for their mission(s). NewHorizons2015, which is on the way to the outer solar system (Pluto territory) gave me some background about Pluto’s atmosphere and geology.

And, of course, I’ve let the world (or at least the few people who are following me (I’m spacewriter on there, very imaginative, I know)) know what I’m doing.  You can follow my rather infrequent Twitters if you like, but I suggest you go check out some of the NASA Twitters; go to Twitter and search for NASA.  All kinds of cool stuff comes up — stick to the ones that are actually at NASA and you’ll have more Twitters than you know what to do with!