Mission Robotics

Together students will collaborate in teams to program a robot made of our in-house designed 3D printed components and electronics. While closely following instruction, teams must work to master particular programming concepts for their robots to complete challenges. Each challenge will become more difficult than the last as they utilize these concepts and build upon their programming knowledge.

The robot each team will have consists of two major features, one being the robotic arm and the other the robot itself. Teams will learn to program both of these features and to ensure success and retain knowledge, members of each team will separate themselves to specialize programming the robotic arm or the robot movements. Specialization will be an essential component of collaboration when the teams compete against each other during the final Mars surface mission.

The Mars surface mission is the ultimate challenge students will be preparing and practicing for on the final day. This challenge takes place on our 16ft x 16ft (4.9m x 4.9m) Martian surface mockup where the terrain is much like that of actual Mars with some of the iconic features such as Olympus Mons and Schiaparelli Crater. Teams will have to use all of the programming concepts, mechanical knowledge, and any other functions and skills they will have learned in the days with us alongside their specializations to complete the Mars surface mission successfully. With nothing more than a large map, a computer to program, and a wireless camera attached to their robot as their only source of vision students are isolated from the Martian surface as they try to remotely maneuver their robot to designated target areas for sample collection. Using a significant amount of teamwork to traverse Mars the teams must use their robotic arm to precisely collect certain rock samples scattered across the surface for study. Geological information will signal to students of possible nearby scientifically valuable samples through the use of radio frequency identifiers (RFIDs) embedded into the Martian surface that the robot can detect. Approaching these areas for collection can prove to be difficult as the robot must be commanded to navigate around tough obstacles such as large craters, valleys, descents, and ascents. The team that acquires the most points from all of the challenges throughout the 3 days will be victorious.

SpaceTrek Rocketry

In this program students will learn the basics behind rocketry and some of the simple physics that moves them. They will also learn about the history and the future of rockets as we know them here at NASA.

Students will work in teams to construct a Water Rocket using parts that have been designed, 3D printed, and laser cut in our fabrication lab. Each team is comprised of individuals working together with separate roles that simulate positions on a small scale of how NASA launches their rockets. After construction, the students will choose these roles and have different duties based on each role they have been assigned.

Teams of students will then be in charge of collecting both theoretical and experimental data for their rockets. The experimental data will be collected using a flight computer and real launches of their rockets outside. The theoretical data will be collected using our uniquely designed and on-site built Bottle-rocket Engine Thrust Acquisition System. (BETA System).

The BETA System uses a force sensor coupled with high grade software and programming to collect data from their rocket’s engine. This thrust data is fed into the software and outputs useful data to help students understand the characteristics of flights and what affects them greatly. The BETA System is a transparent box such that students may watch their rocket engine as they tell us the parameters they want to test such as pressure, nozzle size, and water volume. Using the data collected experimentally and theoretically, such as peak velocity and peak altitude students are able to extrapolate flight characteristics. With this data and their results gathered through the entirety of the program teams are able to compete against each other to launch their rocket to a specific speed and height using their calculated and estimated parameters. The team that is most accurate in the challenge will be victorious and awarded medals.

Near Space Investigation

In this program, the group will participate as one large team to successfully launch and retrieve a weather balloon, with a payload that travels up to 100,000 feet. Students will learn about subjects such as meteorology, telemetry and how NASA takes different variables into account to perform missions, very similar to these. They will also learn about payload integration and how to plan and efficiently carry out a balloon launch. 

The group will work on independent teams with students assigned to different positions similar to those used by NASA, including Flight Director, Safety Officer, Payload Integration, Launch Operations, and Meteorology. Instructors will train students to perform their tasks and then assist in operations as the students take lead. Emphasis is on communication amongst teams and to follow their roles to achieve a successful launch and recovery.  Outside of their roles, teams will also experiment with Arduinos and different sensors to get a better understanding of how the flight computer works.  

Students will develop a payload to be sent on the weather balloon conducting experiments and gather results as it ascends and descends through the atmosphere. During the flight, a camera will capture images and transmit back to the ground station, enabling the group to see views of Earth from the upper atmosphere. 

They will also learn how to test equipment, use checklists, and prepare all the components for the final launch. The main piece of equipment is our flight computer, which has the capability to record variables such as humidity, pressure, temperature, velocity, and altitude.