Drexel engineering students have been accepted to participate in a prestigious annual student competition on Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in Cocoa Beach, FL this June. The purpose of the competition is to challenge engineering students to perform research and design projects based on problems and themes that NASA experts provide. Students are tasked with creating innovative solutions and receive the opportunity to work with the NASA program, network with industry leaders and tour the NASA Kennedy Space Center. Teams submit an abstract of their research and design, and are selected to write a report, bring a visual representation of their project, and discuss how it operates at the RASC-AL 2012 educational forum. Up to ten undergraduate and five graduate teams are selected each year to demonstrate their display.
Led by faculty advisor Dr. Jin Kang, associate teaching professor in the Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics department, both undergraduate and graduate student groups will be presenting their mission design to the NASA and Industry panel. Representing Drexel’s graduate student team are Eric Tran and Derek Feverston, partnering with students Hongrae Kim and Byungil Jeon from the Korea Aerospace University, a university that Drexel has previously worked with. The group will be presenting their research and design on the DIoNISIS mission with its primary objective to land humans on a near-Earth object. This project will show that using existing technology, humanity can obtain a long-term presence in cislunar and interplanetary space.
Drexel’s undergraduate team, Ian Bournelis, Reuben Krutz, Nik Bournelis, Mathilde Berger and Tania Cai, will demonstrate their mission objective to repair targeted satellites in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) by using an economic transport system that would send mini satellites to restore damaged or defective equipment. This project will reveal how the space in geosynchronous orbit can become cleaner and made more available for commercial use, without broken satellites and space debris pollution.
Students will be judged by the panel and scored on a 100-point scale that will take into consideration specific elements of the demonstration including, but not limited to their abstract, written report, oral report and presentation. First Place awards will be given under Undergraduate and Graduate groups. Winning teams will be awarded with a travel stipend to present their concept at an Aerospace Conference, such as Space 2013.
Other Recognition Awards may include:
• Best Technical Paper
• Best Oral Presentation
• Best Poster Presentation
• Best E/PO & Participatory Exploration
• Top Innovation
• Deep Digger (best in-depth treatment of critical element, or system)
• Best Overall Winner for Each Theme
For additional information on the event, visit the RASC-AL home page.