Mechanical Engineering Students Advance in NASA Challenge
Students developing a device to harvest water from the moon and Mars advanced in the national competition.
For the second straight year, a team of 鶹 mechanical engineering seniors has advanced to the semifinals of a NASA challenge to develop a device to harvest water from ice on the moon and Mars that could pave the way for extended manned space missions.
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announced that 鶹 was among a dozen teams from universities across the nation named to the next round of the . The finalists will design, build and test prototype systems capable of extracting water from ice deposits buried beneath simulated lunar or Martian soil.
The 鶹 entry is named Sub-lunar Tap Yielding eXplorer and Surface Telemetry Operations and Next-generation Excavation System, or STYX & STONES, in the 2020-21 challenge. It is just the second time the university has entered the competition.
“I am extremely proud of all of the members on this team,” said student project manager Michelle Leclere, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major from Roseville, California. “Everyone is excited to participate in this challenge because it provides a chance to work/network with NASA engineers and engage in an extremely technically challenging project. Many of the students on our team are also interested in pursuing a career in aerospace/space exploration.
To learn more about the Moon to Mars Ice & Prospecting Challenge, visit: .