A team of five Morehead State space system engineering students and engineers from TU Delft, a university in the Netherlands are finalists in a NASA competition.
The Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competitions fuel innovation for aerospace systems concepts, analogs and technology prototyping by bridging gaps through university engagement.
RASC-AL is open to undergraduate and graduate university-level students studying fields with applications to human space exploration including aerospace, bio-medical, electrical and mechanical engineering, life, physical, and computer sciences.
MSU's proposal consists of a mother rover plus two daughter rovers that would survey the South Pole of the moon to detect water in shadowed regions inside a crater. The mother rover would also be drivable by NASA astronauts that are anticipated to land in the area later this decade.
MSU student members of the team were:
Orlando Carromero from Ceiba, Puerto Rico
Mercedes Maupin from Flatwoods
Tithi Patel from Dahod, India
Noah Patrick from Frenchburg
Kaitlynn Willison from Georgetown
Only five teams were selected for the final round, set to take place in June. That tier of the competition will consist of a formal presentation plus a technical review paper of the rovers.
"To be selected as finalists for this NASA competition is a tremendous honor," said Shanil Virani, MSU instructor of space science and one of the project leaders. "The selection represents the talent and ingenuity of students in our Space Systems Engineering program. It also highlights the wonderful partnerships that we have developed around the world. TU Delft is one of Europe's prestigious engineering schools, so it has been a privilege to collaborate with their talented students and faculty."
To learn more about MSU's bachelor's in Space Systems Engineering, visit
www.moreheadstate.edu/study/spacesystemsengineering
email b.malphrus@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2381.
For information on MSU's master's program in Space Systems Engineering, visit
www.moreheadstate.edu/study/ms-spacesystemsengineering
email phes@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2381.
