Congratulations to the 2013 RASC-AL Teams!

GRADUATE TEAMS

Georgia Institute of Technology
CCS-ISP: Commercial Core Stages for In-Space Propulsion

Drexel University with Korean Aerospace University
Mission to Mars: The Design and Architecture of the Tenacity Mission

University of Colorado, Boulder
Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for Long Duration Human Space Missions

University of Maryland
RAVEN II: An Unpressurized Human Roving Vehicle to Enhance Exploration

Washington University in St. Louis
Polar Exploration and Reconnaissance for Lunar Studies (PEARLS)

UNDERGRADUATE TEAMS

California State University, Long Beach
Destination Mars

Clarkson University with ORT University, UdelaR University (Uruguay)
FORTUNA Project (Far Object Retriever to Utilize Natural Assets)

Drexel University
Initial Preparation for a Permanent Lunar Base

Pennsylvania State University
Martian Lion

University of Florida
Human-Focused Mars Mission Systems and Technologies

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
NERIO-I: Nuclear Explorations for Realizing Interplanetary Objectives I

University of Maryland
Modular Affordable Mixed-Fleet Architectures and Programs for Sustainable Human Exploration

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Project Rhea: A Manned Reusable Spacecraft for the Scientific Observation of Mars

West Virginia University
Near Earth Object Visitation, Study and Exploration

RASC-AL: Human Scale Architecture and Systems Competition

OVERVIEW

Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts - Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) is a student design competition that is sponsored by NASA and managed by the National Institute of Aerospace. RASC-AL was formed to provide university-level engineering students with the opportunity to design human scale architecture concepts based on NASA engineering challenges as well as offer NASA access to new research and design projects by students.

RASC-AL is open to undergraduate and graduate university-level students studying fields with applications to human space exploration (i.e., aerospace, bio-medical, electrical, and mechanical engineering; and life, physical, and computer sciences). RASC-AL projects allow students to incorporate their coursework into real aerospace design concepts and work together in a team environment. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged.

Through RASC-AL, student teams and their faculty advisors will work to develop mission architectures to employ innovative solutions in response to one of the 3 following themes:

Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Flexible Mission Architecture Designs
Human-Focused Mars Mission Systems and Technologies
Human Lunar Access and Initial Exploration

BRAND NEW WAY TO PARTICIPATE IN 2013!
Teams can choose to participate in RASC-AL in one of two different ways:

By developing a complete, integrated, end-to-end architecture addressing one of the three themes listed above (the traditional option); OR
By performing a thorough system design of a supporting element such as a mobility system, habitat or lander (the advanced concept option).

In 2013, up to eighteen will be chosen to compete at the RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Each team will receive a monetary award to facilitate full participation in the RASC-AL Forum. The teams with the top two winning papers will be invited to present their design projects to industry experts at a major Aerospace conference, such as Space 2013 (additional travel stipends provided).

Interested in RASC-AL? Click here for more details.

"NASA is always looking for great ideas. What better group to turn to than the next generation of engineers?" said Pat Troutman, senior systems analysis at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. "Students get something out of it too. They get the chance to apply what they learn in class to real world aerospace challenges."