07 April 2010
Credit: NASA/MSFC
During the period 9-10 April 2010, some 1,088 high school, college and university students will race on a rugged, Moon-like terrain, driving their specially designed rovers, at NASA's annual, international Great Moonbuggy Race. The event is hosted by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, USA.
Students start the preparation for the event every autumn semester. They must design, build and test a sturdy, collapsible, lightweight vehicle that tackles engineering problems similar to those overcome by NASA’s lunar rover development team, in the late 1960s.
The Moonbuggies are based on the design of the original lunar rovers, which American astronauts drove on the Moon, through the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions, in the early 1970s. The competing teams of students build their vehicles using trail bike tires, aluminum or composite-metal struts and parts. The best teams drive trains, gears, suspension, steering and braking systems they find or construct.
Top prizes are awarded to the three teams in both the high school and college/university categories that post the fastest race times, which include assembly and penalty times. Other prizes are given by race corporate sponsors. These include "rookie of the year" and the "featherweight" award, for the lightest, fastest buggy.
The Great Moonbuggy Race is one of numerous educational activities, conducted by NASA to future scientists, engineers and explorers.
Further Reading
2010 Great Moonbuggy Race
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars/moonbuggy.html
NASA Education
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/about/index.html
NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race
http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/
Aymen Mohamed Ibrahem
Senior Astronomy Specialist