Jason Rabinovitch & Nick ParzialeStudent Leads

Overview

• 5-day student competition where students from all over the world come to Caltech to design a human mission to a Martian Moon

• We provide you with the tools needed to create a successful mission in only 5 days

• Provide opportunity for students all across the world to interact with scientist/engineers from NASA and industry

• Goal is to Develop innovative strategies and solutions which could be applied towards future deep space missions.

The Mission

Photo Credit: Mumu Xu

Mission• A human mission to a Martian moon stays true to NASA’s flexible

path approach that was advocated by the Augustine Committee.• This mission is a Fundamental step on the way to human exploration

of Mars, and our solar system.

• In 5 days, each team is challenged to design a mission to land humans on a Martian moon, either Phobos or Deimos, and return them along with a sample, safely to the Earth.

• The launch date of the mission may be no later than January 1st, 2041.

Deliverables and Judging

• Each team is required to:– Submit a final report by 1:30 PM 5/29/2013– 1 hour presentation (50 minute presentation, 10

minute questions) on 5/29/2013 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

• Teams will be judged on their answers to the 5 questions by a panel of jurors

Space Challenge ParticipantsHighly talented applicant pool of over 175 people!

21 universities and 11 countries represented

Handbook Information

• Problem statement and 5 questions• Many useful design references– Launch vehicles– Radiation– Science examples– Team milestones and organization

Sponsors

“Rules”

• All lectures and meals are mandatory– Great way to interact with the speakers and

people on the other team• This is a “friendly” competition• Don’t forget to sleep!• Learn something and have fun

Good Luck Teams!

Project Scientist for Voyager

The following is a message from Professor Ed Stone

Ed Stone – 1 of 4

Welcome to the Caltech Space Challenge, where the challenge is to expand the five frontiers of space:

• The physical frontier- sending a human or a robot to new places

• The knowledge frontier- learning what is out there• The technology frontier- the innovations needed to send

systems and humans into space• The human frontier- the physiological, psychological, and

medical aspects affecting humans in space• The applications frontiers- the use of space to benefit life on

Earth

Ed Stone – 2 of 4

Your teams carry the names of two JPL missions that have expanded those frontiers…

Explorer- the first US orbiting spacecraft that discovered the Van Allen belts of radiation trapped in Earth’s magnetic field

Ed Stone – 3 of 4

Voyager- that explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and will soon become the first to explore interstellar space

Ed Stone – 4 of 4

In the coming week you will be challenged to build on that heritage to finds ways to expand further the frontiers of space with a human journey into deep space.

It won’t be easy, but you will learn a lot and will have some fun!

With my best wishes on the journey ahead, Ed Stone