Press Releases 2010
Students Travel to Idaho Falls for Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge
April 13, 2010
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho–Teams of fifth and sixth grade students from Idaho will gather in Idaho Falls, April 17, as part of this year’s Idaho Teaching Engineering to Children (TECH) Mars Rover Challenge. The young engineers will go head to head with their rovers at Taylor’s Crossing Public Charter School.
The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium’s (ISGC) TECH Challenge tests the engineering skills of the teams in a daylong Mars rover competition. Teams of 4-6 students use Legos to create a motorized Mars rover. Each team then tests their rover’s ability to maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills, and pick up small objects on a surface that resembles that of Mars.
Teams from American Falls, Blackfoot, Hazelton, Leadore and Twin Falls will compete in the Southern TECH: Mars Rover Challenge in Idaho Falls.
Idaho Falls’ competition is the first of three TECH challenges in Idaho. The top placed teams from each competition will advance to the state finals, which will be held in Moscow April, 30.
While at the competition, students will have the opportunity to hear about the landing of an actual Mars Rover, from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Aerospace Educator, Sandra Kaszynski.
Kaszynski will also be providing a free Lunar Certification workshop to interested K-12 teachers. The certification workshop will enable teachers to take a real lunar rock and meteorite samples from NASA’s historic Apollo missions to their students. This workshop is limited to thirty teachers.
Following the workshop, educators will have the chance to see the Idaho TECH competition in action and learn more about the program. The ISGC will also be offering teachers who are interested in the program the opportunity to take a Mars Rover LEGO kit home and see if the program is something they would like to work into their curriculum for the upcoming school year.
Idaho TECH is open to the public. For more information on Idaho TECH or the teacher workshop contact the NASA Idaho Space Grant at isgc@uidaho.edu.
Students Travel to Meridian for Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge
April 16, 2010
MOSCOW, Id–Teams of fifth and sixth grade students from Idaho will gather in Meridian, April 24, as part of this year’s Idaho Teaching Engineering to Children (TECH) Mars Rover Challenge. The young engineers will go head to head with their rovers at Sawtooth Middle School.
The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium’s (ISGC) Idaho TECH Challenge tests the engineering skills of the teams in a daylong Mars rover competition. Teams of 4-6 students use Legos to create a motorized Mars rover. Each team then tests their rover’s ability to maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills, and pick up small objects on a surface that resembles that of Mars.
Teams from Boise, Cascade, Jerome, and Mountain Home will compete in the Southwest Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge in Meridian.
Meridian’s competition is the second of three preliminary TECH challenges in Idaho. The top placed teams from each competition will advance to the state finals, which will be held in Moscow April, 30.
Teachers who are interested in the event are welcome to attend and take home a Mars Rover kit for the summer
Students Travel to Moscow for Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge
April 20, 2010
MOSCOW, Id–Teams of fifth and sixth grade students from the northern part of the state will gather in Moscow on April 30, as part of this year’s Idaho Teaching Engineering to Children (TECH) Mars Rover Challenge. The young engineers will go head to head with their rovers at the Palouse Empire Mall.
The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium’s (ISGC) TECH Challenge tests the engineering skills of the teams in a daylong Mars rover competition. Teams of 4-6 students use Legos to create a motorized Mars rover. Each team then tests their rover’s ability to maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills, and pick up small objects on a surface that resembles that of Mars.
Teams from Athol, Coeur d’ Alene, Sagle, Cocolalla, Spirit Lake, Genesee, Grangeville, Moscow, Cottonwood, and Potlatch will be in attendance at the North Idaho competition.
At the end of the competition, the top three winners will advance to the state finals. The finals are held immediately following at the same location. The top scoring teams from the Idaho TCH competitions held in Meridian and Idaho Falls will travel to Moscow where they will compete for the state title.
Students attending Idaho TECH will have the opportunity to hear from Austin Howard, a former NASA ISGC intern and fellow who is currently working for the ELORET Corporation at NASA Ames Research Center. Students will also travel to and from the University of Idaho’s Engineering Expo, the Pacific Northwest’s largest interdisciplinary initiative.
Media representatives are welcome at the event. The best photo opportunities are from 9:30am-11:30 am and 12:30-3 pm when students test their rovers on the different courses.
Boise, Cascade and Mountain Home Students Place in Mars Rover Challenge
April 27, 2010
MOSCOW, ID- The, Space Cows a Boise Idaho student team, proved themselves at the Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge, Saturday, April 24 at the Southwest preliminary competition in Meridian. The Space Cows, from Pioneer School of the Arts, competed against other fifth and sixth grade students from the area.
Following the Space Cows were the Rambling Chimpbots from Cascade Elementary School in Cascade who took second place. C.H.I.P.S., a team of students from Hacker Middle School in Mountain Home took third place.
To place at Idaho TECH, students had to design a motorized Mars rover out of LEGOs that could maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills and pick up small objects, among other things. Over 350 students competed in the competitions this year.
Students begin to construct their rovers in January each year. They use motors and pneumatic systems to make the rovers move, and pick objects up with a mechanized arm or a scoop. Idaho TECH is a program for fifth and sixth grade students held each year by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the program is to provide a hands-on science and engineering opportunity for Idaho students.
The three teams have been invited to participate in the final competition, which is set to be held Friday, April 30, in Moscow, Idaho. If they choose to accept the invitation they will be competing against the top teams from both the northern and southern preliminary competitions.
Preliminary Design Competition Results:
Poster Display: Rambling Chimpbots
Poster Presentation: Rambling Chimpbots
Notebook: Rambling Chimpbots
Speed Test: Space Cows (time: 31 seconds)
Rock Collection Test: Space Cows
Weight: Space Cows (weight: 373 grams)
Hill Climb Test: Space Cows
Blind Driving Test: Space Cows (time: 2 minutes 6 seconds)
Leadore and Hazelton Students Place in Mars Rover Challenge
April 27, 2010
MOSCOW, ID- The Martianators, a student team from Ladore, Idaho, once again proved they have what it takes to win at the Idaho TECH: Mars Rover Challenge, Saturday, April 17. The Martianators competed against other fifth and sixth grade students, taking first place at the southern preliminary competition. The Martionators had tough competition including another team from Leadore School, the Labrats, who took second place. The Blue Devils a team from Valley Middle School in Hazelton took third in the preliminary competition.
To place at Idaho TECH, students had to design a motorized Mars rover out of Legos that could maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills and pick up small objects, among other things.
Students begin to construct their rovers in January each year. They use motors and pneumatic systems to make the rovers move, and pick objects up with a mechanized arm or a scoop. Idaho TECH is a program for fifth and sixth grade students held each year by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the program is to provide a hands-on science and engineering opportunity for Idaho students.
The three teams have been invited to compete in the state finals, Friday, April 30, in Moscow, Idaho. If they choose to participate, the teams will compete against the winning teams from the northern preliminary competition held in Moscow prior to the state finals and the winners from the southwest preliminary competition held in Meridian Saturday, April 24.
North Idaho Teams Faced Off in Mars Rover Challenge
May 4, 2010
MOSCOW, IDAHO- Teams from the north went head to head at the North Idaho TECH Mars Rover Challenge, Friday, May 30 in Moscow. After competing in the seven categories of competition, it was the Mars Soldiers of Genesee Elementary School in Genesee Idaho who took first place. In second place were the Space Mangos, a team of Southside Elementary School students from SOMEWHERE. Taking home third were the Licorice Loving Lunacorns from Spirit Lake Elementary School in Spirit Lake Idaho.
To place at Idaho TECH, students had to design a motorized Mars rover out of LEGOs that could maneuver between obstacles, climb steep hills and pick up small objects, among other things. Over 350 students competed in the competitions this year.
Students begin to construct their rovers in January each year. They use motors and pneumatic systems to make the rovers move, and pick objects up with a mechanized arm or a scoop. Idaho TECH is a program for fifth and sixth grade students held each year by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the program is to provide a hands-on science and engineering opportunity for Idaho students.
North Idaho Preliminary Design Competition Results:
Poster Display (2 way tie)
1. The Final Countdowns - Genesee Elementary
2. May Day Martians - Athol Elementary
Poster Presentation
The Space Mangos - Southside Elementary
Notebook (7 way tie)
1. The Radical Rover Team - Ramsey Elementary
2. Super Atomic Sand Dunes of Mars - Southside Elementary
3. Newest Astronauts Since August - Potlatch Elementary
4. Martian Marshmallow Eaters - Spirit Lake Elementary
5. Super Saturn Spirit Lakers - Spirit Lake Elementary
6. The Final Countdown - Genesee Elementary
7. Mars Soldiers - Genesee Elementary
Speed
Martian Marshmallows Eaters (20 seconds) - Spirit Lake Elementary
Rock
Mars Soldiers - Genesee Elementary
Hill Climb
Super Atomic Sand Dunes of Mars - Sagle Elementary
Blind
The Space Mangos (1 min 41 sec) - Southside Elementary
Top 3 Winners
1st Place - Mars Soldiers - Genesee Elementary
2nd Place - The Space Mangos - Southside Elementary
3rd Place - Licorice Loving Lunarcorns - Spirit Lake Elementary
Students Stand by for Lift Off
October 22, 2010
MOSCOW, Idaho- The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium’s Summer of Innovation participants have extended their stay in Florida. The group, which is comprised of thirty students, and twenty teachers, chaperones and staff changed their schedules in hopes to watch the Discovery Space Shuttle blast off on its last journey.
The launch was originally set for Monday, but after mechanical problems, it was delayed 24 hours. The launch has now been delayed four times and is currently set to lift off on Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Mother Nature determined that the launch would not occur before Friday. The weather will once again determine whether the students witness a blast-off before they return to the west. If weather permits, they will witness history in Florida and leave with a great story to tell and a memory that will last a lifetime.
The group extended their stay until Saturday, giving themselves two additional days to see the Discovery take flight. The launch window will close on Sunday for the shuttle and a new window
will not open until December. Officials will meet early in the morning on Friday to determine if the weather conditions are safe for a launch.
Since landing in Orlando, the students have enjoyed their stay and have experienced many firsts, including a trip to Kennedy Space Center’s visitor center and also received a private tour. They’re keeping their fingers crossed that a last for the Discovery can be another first for them.
Photos, videos and updates about the trip are continuously being posted from Florida on the NASA ISGC’s Facebook, Twitter and website:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Moscow-ID/NASA-Idaho- Space-Grant-Consortium/91682706503?ref=ts
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/isgc • Website: http://www.id.spacegrant.org/
To use these photos for media purposes, please contact Shandy Lam (contact information above).
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