Eric Tidd, at left, and William Halaburda test their miniature prototype of a Mars rover recently at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Tidd and Halaburda were among students from across the nation who participated in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program’s spring session. Students selected for the program completed online course work related to Mars exploration and then were assigned to a rover-building team. Team members collaborated over the internet, then met for the first time when they arrived at NASA centers, including Langley. Once together, they had three and one-half days to finalize their plans and build their prototype rovers. At Langley, the Gold team took the top prize in the competition. The Gold team was comprised of Aaron Laciny, Alexander Carter, Jacob Cobb, Mouad Ait Taleb Ali, Deidrie Pierce, Adam Leidich, Allan O’Mara, Jason Juliette, Natalie Mosby and Rosanna Quassis. The team was mentored by R.J. Bodkin and Shawn Britton. The NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Program gives community college students focused on science, technology, engineering and math an authentic NASA experience and encourages them to finish a two-year degree or transfer to a four-year university to pursue a NASA-related field or career.
Image credit: NASA/David C. Bowman