What:
High school and college students will race their self-powered moonbuggies on a half-mile, lunar-like surface in NASA’s 14th annual Great Moonbuggy Race April 13-14. Each team must design and build a sturdy, easy-to-assemble moonbuggy to withstand the rough terrain of the course at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. A two-person, co-ed crew for each team will race for the best time.
Awards also are presented for most unique moonbuggy; most improved from previous competition; best overall design; fastest first-year contestant; and the vehicle with the safest design.
Who:
Sixty high school and college teams from 20 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Germany are expected to compete.
Why:
The race is inspired by the original lunar rovers designed, developed and tested for the Apollo moon missions in the 1970s by engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The event will bring together future engineers and scientists who may be the next generation of explorers to reach the moon or build the spacecraft to get there. Students use engineering techniques and learn practical uses of math and physics during many months spent building their moonbuggies for the race.
When:
Friday, April 13 – High school competition
Saturday, April 14 – College competition
Races begin at 8 a.m. CDT both days and continue throughout the day
Where: U.S. Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base, Huntsville
To attend:
News media interested in covering the event should contact the Marshall Public & Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than Thursday, April 12.
For more information about the event, visit:
http://moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov
For supporting materials for this news release – such as photographs, fact sheets, video files and more – please visit the NASA Marshall Center Newsroom Web site at
