Glenn High School Capstones
Simulated Lunar Operations
Celestial bodies such as Mars or the Moon offer very little or no atmosphere that would enable rovers to utilize conventional wheels that we use on Earth. Researchers at the Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) facility develop innovative airless wheels that can navigate lunar and Martian terrain including loose granular soil, dense high shear strength soil and a bedrock-like material.
Capstone Summary
For this capstone, students will design and fabricate a wheel that does not inflate and can function in an environment with little or no atmosphere. Students must fabricate a five (5) inch diameter replica of the current Mars Curiosity Rovers in order to collect baseline data for comparison of results of their wheel design. Student designed wheels must not exceed five (5) inches in diameter and perform on dry sand over six (6) feet on a grade of seven (7) degrees while carrying as much weight as possible. Wheels will be evaluated by vehicle motion generated by traction forces only. Any motion generated by propulsion forces observed by “kicking up” sand will not be considered.
Test Rig Components and Specifications
Test Vehicles may be commercially purchased. It is recommended that motor specifications include a 75:1 gearbox, voltage range or 2 – 7.5 Volts, stall current of 6.6 Amps @ 7.2 Volts, no-load current for 420 mAmps @ 7.2 Volts per motor, no-load output shaft speed at 7.2 Volts, and stall torque at 7.2 V of 11 kg-cm (160 oz-in) per motor. The test vehicles should utilize a microcontroller board as a general-purpose dual motor driver.
Key Dates
- April 25, 2025 – Applications for the 2025 – 2026 school year are open.
- September 19, 2025 – Fall application deadline, applications are due.
- September 26, 2025 – Schools notified of fall application results.
- October 24, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Workshop (onsite or virtual).
- October 31, 2025, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Virtual Kickoff with NASA Subject Matter Experts.
- February 13, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Virtual Midpoint Subject Matter Expert Review.
- April 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Hybrid Capstone Culminating Event including student design presentations and facilities tours for onsite participants.
2025 Application Process
To apply please complete both the NASA Gateway application and the Supplemental application form as follows:
To access the 2025-2026 NASA Gateway application, please click here.
To access the 2024 – 2025 supplemental application form, please click here.
After downloading and completing the supplemental application form, please save it and upload the completed form as an attachment as part of the NASA STEM Gateway application. Both application forms must be completed to be considered for this opportunity.
Contact Information
Gerald Voltz
Program Specialist
Email: GRC-Ed-Opportunities@mail.nasa.gov
Phone: (216) 433-6656