thought about,” Bolden stated in an interview, referring
to the outcome of the EDC. “It may be totally different
and it may even be affordable, which is most important.
So, it is my expectation that we will find something that
we didn’t think about.”
The design challenge is divided into three
levels. For the first two groups –
children in kindergarten through
4th grade, and 5th through
8th grades – their teachers will
lead them through studying the
effects of radiation on human
space travelers and analyzing
materials that can simulate space
radiation shielding for Orion. After
participating in these activities, the
students will recommend materials that
best block harmful radiation.
At the high school level, grades 9 through
12, students will design the shielding to protect a
sensor inside Orion from space radiation.
“There will be five teams chosen to test their designs
in a virtual radiation simulator,” said Leland Melvin,
a Space Shuttle astronaut and NASA’s associate
administrator for education. “All five teams that are
chosen will go down to Kennedy Space Center for the
launch of EFT-1 and there will be a final down-select of
the winning design that will possibly be flown on EFT-1.”
“We’re banking on this design because one of you,
or one of our astronauts, will be flying to Mars,” he said.
“We will be using space-certified radiation sensors
sitting behind your radiation shield to see how effective
it is working at blocking radiation.”
An artist concept (above) shows Orion as
it will appear in space for the Exploration
Flight Test-1 attached to a Delta IV stage,
(Left) NASA’s Orion Exploration Flight Test-1
(EFT-1) insignia.
Images: NASA
Laying the foundation
“All of you who participate will be part of something
that has never been done before, the first test flight
of Orion,” Marilyn Hewson, president and CEO of
Lockheed Martin, said, addressing the students who
attended the event and who were watching live on
NASA’s television channel.
Lockheed Martin is NASA’s prime contractor for the
Orion MPCV and is building the capsule that will fly on
EFT-1.
“Every journey starts with a single step and the Orion’s
Exploration Flight Test-1 is a significant first step toward
deep space human exploration,” she said. “This mission
will lay the foundation for future Orion flights and will
take astronauts past the moon and on
to asteroids and Mars.”
All the students who take part in the
design challenge will join the mission as
“honorary crew members” by having
their names flown aboard the Orion.
The winning team’s status will be more
than honorary — their radiation shield
design may someday protect Orion’s
real crew members.
“You’re about to embark on an
amazing journey,” Hewson said. “The
skills you’ll learn from this challenge —
problem solving, critical thinking and
systems engineering — are the very
same skills that our engineers apply to
our most challenging problems every
day.”
“You are taking on a mission that
is hugely important — keeping our
astronauts safe during a journey through
deep space.”
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson sign an
For details on how students can enter
agreement enabling NASA’s Exploration Design Challenge for students.
NASA’s Exploration Design Challenge,
Photo: Robert Pearlman/collectSPACE.com see NASA’s Education website.
www.RocketSTEM.org
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