U-Md. Students to Build Inflatable Space Habitat in NASA Competition Finals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  June 13, 2011

CONTACT:
Melissa Corley
301 405 6501
mcorley@umd.edu

HOUSTON--Students from the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering make up one of three teams selected by NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to build potential habitats for astronauts traveling to the moon or Mars. The aerospace engineering students, led by the Clark School’s Professor David Akin, are competing in the eXploration Habitat (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge.

The competition is designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, which in turn will help develop the next generation of innovators and explorers. It could also result in new concepts and solutions that NASA could apply to later exploration habitats.

News media representatives are invited to view the team's habitat from 2-4 p.m. CDT on Thursday, June 16. To participate, reporters need to contact NASA by 5 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, June 15.

The U-Md. students are competing against teams from Oklahoma State and the University of Wisconsin. The winning habitat will be used during NASA's Desert Research and Technology Studies ("Desert RATS") field trials in northern Arizona in September. The winning team also receives $10,000 to offset the costs of their participation.

X-Hab is sponsored by NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate and the Innovative Partnerships Office in the Office of the Chief Technologist at agency headquarters in Washington.

More Information: More Information:
NASA's press release

X-Hab Challenge web site

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering

The University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering is a premier program, ranked among the top 20 in the world. Located just a few miles from Washington, D.C., the Clark School is at the center of a constellation of high-tech companies and federal laboratories, offering students and faculty access to unique professional opportunities.

Our broad spectrum of academic programs, including the world’s only accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering program, is complemented by a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, early hands-on educational experiences, and participation in national and international competitions.

The Clark School is leading research advancements in aerospace, bioengineering, robotics, nanotechnology, disaster resilience, energy and sustainability, and cybersecurity. From the universal product code to satellite radio, SMS text messaging to the implantable insulin pump, our students, faculty, and alumni are engineering life-changing innovations for millions. Learn more at www.eng.umd.edu.