Students Design Mission to One of Mars’ Moons

Aerospace, engineering and science students from 11 different counties took part in a Caltech competition that judged the best design for a mission to one of Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, according to a story in the La Canada Valley Sun.

The 32 students had five days to plan their missions before presenting them to a panel of experts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Students were mentored by experts from NASA, JPL, and Lockheed Martin. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon behind Neil Armstrong in 1969, gave a lecture on getting to Mars.

The winning team, whose design included a probe to both moons seven years before a manned mission to Phobos, received additional funds for travel expenses.

For more on this story, click here.