New NASA competition

NASA has just announced a new competition where a team of undergraduate and graduate students can design and build excavation systems that could be used for future lunar exploration. Full competition proposals can include a request for up to $5,000 to cover designing, building, and travel expenses. NASA anticipates funding the first 10 approved team requests. Teams will test their designs in a "head to head" challenge to see which design can excavate the most simulated lunar regolith, or dirt, over a specific timeframe. The competition also involves submittal of a
systems engineering paper, as well as an educational outreach project. The event will be held at the Astronaut Hall of Fame near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., May 25-28, 2010. For information on the competition and how to apply, go here. Good luck!