Friday, July 22, 2011

NASA Selects Four Universities For 2012 X-Hab Innovation Challenge

July 22, 2011

J.D. Harrington/Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-5241/1979
j.d.harrington@nasa.gov/michael.braukus@nasa.gov

Lynnette Madison
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
lynnette.b.madison@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 11-238

NASA SELECTS FOUR UNIVERSITIES FOR 2012 X-HAB INNOVATION CHALLENGE

WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected four universities to design habitat
and science concepts that could be used by future deep space
explorers. The teams will participate in the second eXploration
Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge led by NASA and the
National Space Grant Foundation.

The teams are from Oklahoma State University; University of Maryland,
College Park; Ohio State University; and University of Bridgeport,
Conn. The undergraduate students will design, manufacture, assemble
and test their concepts and hardware. A panel of engineers and
scientists will assess their progress at each stage of the
competition. The National Space Grant Foundation will fund the cost
of the teams' design development and their participation in testing
next summer at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas.

"This is an amazing opportunity for students to get hands-on
experience in fields ranging from engineering and science to business
management," said Doug Craig, strategic analysis manager for analog
systems at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Last year's competition
proved to be intense, demonstrating the creativity, dedication, and
technical excellence of the team members."

The 2012 X-Hab challenge will look at volume, geometry and
habitability of a deep space habitat and technologies for plant
growth and geo-science sample handling. The challenge is a
participatory exploration effort designed to encourage studies in
spaceflight-related engineering and architecture disciplines. NASA is
committed to training and developing a highly skilled scientific,
engineering and technical workforce for the future.

NASA's Exploration Mission Directorate, Directorate Integration Office
via the Habitat Demonstration Unit Project, is sponsoring the
challenge. NASA is dedicated to supporting research that enables
sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration. This
educational challenge contributes to the agency's efforts to train
and develop a highly skilled scientific, engineering and technical
workforce for the future. For more information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/xhab_challenge.html


For more information about the Habitation Development Unit Project,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/analogs/hdu_project.html


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