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RELEASE NO. 02-019
NOTE TO EDITORS
NASA helps students design safer cockpit door
Engineers and technicians from NASA’s Langley Research
Center will be on hand Wednesday morning, March 20, when Hampton
High School students unveil a full-scale model of a new, safer
airliner cockpit door and other aviation security improvements.
The Future Engineers of Hampton High decided to tackle a
real-life engineering challenge following the terrorist attacks in
three U.S. locations Sept. 11, 2001.
Researchers at NASA Langley helped the five students refine
their designs for a reinforced cockpit door and an on-board camera
passenger surveillance system. Not only did the researchers visit
Hampton High’s Engineering Technology II class a number of
times, the students visited NASA Langley to get a close-up look at
a former airliner that’s now a flying laboratory.
"By having NASA come in, it has allowed the students to see what
it’s like in the real world … to think outside the box,"
said Chandra Oaks-Garcia, Hampton High engineering technology
teacher.
One of Oaks-Garcia’s students has already been accepted to
the Pennsylvania State University College of Engineering. "I want
to be an engineer and it’s nice to see how engineers at NASA
can come out and help us with our project and give us some pointers
and advice," said senior Casey Roberts. "It’s been a wonderful
experience."
The NASA researchers agree. "I like seeing the light bulb click
when young people become interested," said NASA Langley aerospace
technologist Mark Wynkoop. "It’s very rewarding to see
that."
Students plan to demonstrate mock-ups of their designs to the
researchers and invited guests at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 20, at
Hampton High School in the Engineering Technology
classroom.
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