America
NASA announces winners of first Mars challenge
Washington, Feb 21
NASA has announced the
winners of its first Mars Balance Mass Challenge that asked for design
ideas for small science and technology payloads that could provide dual
purpose as ejectable balance masses on spacecraft entering the Martian
atmosphere.
Texas-based Ted Ground was awarded $20,000 for his
idea to study the Martian atmosphere by releasing material that could be
seen and studied by other Martian spacecraft in orbit and on the
ground.
A team of engineers from Grand Rapids, Michigan, received
an honourable mention and $5,000 for their idea to study Martian
weather by looking at wind patterns near the planet's surface.
"The
219 submissions from 43 countries to the Mars Balance Mass Challenge
show the interest the public has in directly engaging with NASA," said
NASA chief technologist David Miller.
"The two winning ideas
highlight how effective these activities can be at helping NASA bring
innovative ideas into our missions," he added.
The Mars Balance Mass Challenge was announced in September 2014.
The
payloads would serve two roles: perform scientific or technology
functions that help us learn more about the Red Planet and provide the
necessary weight to balance planetary landers.
"We want citizens
to join us on the journey to Mars," said George Tahu, programme
executive for Mars Exploration at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC.
Submissions
to the challenge ranged from analysing Martian weather or the Martian
surface, to demonstrating new technologies such as 3D printing or
parachutes, to pre-positioning supplies for future human missions on the
planet's surface.