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1. NASA Challenge Invites Students to Design Exploration Systems

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 10:48:29 -0500 From: info@JSC NASA GOV Subject: NASA Challenge Invites Students to Design Exploration Systems

April 3, 2014

Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters Johnson Space Center, Houston 281-483-5111

Joshua Buck Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1100

Tracy Young Kennedy Space Center, Fla 321-867-2468

Report #RELEASE 14-103

NASA Challenge Invites Students to Design Exploration Systems

College and university students have an opportunity to help design systems for future space habitats and exploration systems through NASA's Exploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge Applications for the fifth annual challenge will be accepted through April 30

The project will challenge students to design and implement new prototype systems that may advance exploration capabilities To take part in the X-Hab Challenge, student teams submit their plan for the design, manufacture, assembly and testing of their system These plans will be evaluated by the agency's Exploration Augmentation Module (EAM) team, a new agency activity under the Advanced Exploration Systems division of NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington The AES division pioneers development and demonstration of new technologies for future human missions beyond Earth's orbit

The EAM consolidated several existing activities to fine-tune its effort to develop prototype systems that augment Orion's habitation and spacewalking capabilities for extended deep space missions Orion is NASA�s next-generation spacecraft designed to carry astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit, including to an asteroid and Mars Orion's first uncrewed test flight, Exploration Flight Test-1, is scheduled to launch later this year

Previous X-Hab Challenge projects included an inflatable loft for crew sleeping quarters, plant growth systems, stowage systems and habitat layout designs This year, students may choose projects from a variety of areas such as power distribution systems, advanced avionics, inflatable structures, additive manufacturing and food production systems

"We look forward to another imaginative group of X-Hab projects for the 2015 Challenge," said Lora Bailey, EAM project manager at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston "Our team of engineers and scientists around the agency benefits from the enthusiasm, energy and creativity of the university teams, and the teams benefit from the real world experiences of collaborating with NASA experts and following a project from design through implementation "

The X-Hab Challenge is part of a continuing effort to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines The challenge is managed for the EAM project team by the National Space Grant Foundation Teams selected for the challenge will receive a monetary stipend to assist in producing functional products based on their designs

For more information on the X-Hab Challenge, visit:

http://go nasa gov/x-hab

For more information on NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www nasa gov

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End of HSFNEWS Digest - 3 Apr 2014 to 4 Apr 2014 (#2014-19)