San Jacinto College and NASA team up for 15^th annual Space Settlement Design Competition

Jeannie Peng-Armao -- March 7, 2013

PASADENA, Texas – San Jacinto College is collaborating with NASA – Johnson Space Center (JSC) from March 15 to 17 for the 15^th annual Space Settlement Design Competition.

The competition gives 185 high school students from Texas, Nebraska, and the Iowa Northwest Area Education Agency a unique opportunity to engage in an industry simulation game that emulates the experience of working as a member of an aerospace company team. Students will spend the weekend at Johnson Space Center learning about the characteristics and activities of real careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by participating in a typical high intensity industrial assignment of great importance to the company.

The competition includes student groups acting as companies that compete for the award of a major contract for the design, development, and preparation of an operating plan for a large human base on the moon - a detailed scenario set in the near future. The customer for this contract is an imaginary private space development group called the Foundation Society. The requirements of the contract are set forth in a detailed, multi-page Request for Proposal (RFP) which is provided to the four companies on Saturday morning after all orientation and training activities have been completed. 

The winning company will be allowed to select a limited subset of their members to return to JSC in July of 2013 to participate in the International Space Settlement Design Competition for global championship honors. 

The San Jacinto College Aerospace Academy received a $15,000 grant from the Texas Space Grant Consortium to plan, organize, and implement tasks of the Space Settlement Design Competition. The event is sponsored by the NASA – Johnson Space Center, San Jacinto College Aerospace Academy, associated aerospace companies, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the NASA Alumni League.

For more information, email Norm Chaffee at chaffee.norman@att.net or Sara Malloy at JSC-SJCAerospaceAcademy@mail.nasa.gov.

About the San Jacinto College Aerospace Academy
The San Jacinto College Aerospace Academy (AA) is charged to collaborate with education, industry, government, economic development, and community groups to advance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career development. It has been a partner with NASA-JSC for more than 10 years. For more information, visit http://cpd.sanjac.edu/aerospace-academy, or follow the Aerospace Academy on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SJCAerospaceAcademy.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for more than 50 years. The Achieving the Dream Leader College is committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of 30,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career preparation. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of growing industries in the region. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $630 million each year to the Texas workforce. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150 or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.