NASA Selects University Teams to Compete in 2024 RASC-AL Competition

Fourteen undergraduate and graduate teams from across the country were selected as finalists to compete in one of NASA’s longest running student challenges — the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition. The competition fuels innovation and challenges undergraduate and graduate teams to develop new concepts to improve our ability to operate on the Moon, Mars and beyond. Finalists will travel to Cocoa Beach, Florida next June to present their proposed concepts to a panel of NASA and aerospace industry leaders. 

The 2024 finalist teams are: 

AI-Powered Self-Replicating Probe Theme: 

• Clarkson University with Khalifa University and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) 
  • AUTONOMY: Augmented Unmanned Technology Operating in Navigating Objects of Mining Yield 
  • Advisors: Dr. Michael Bazzocchi (Clarkson), Dr. Roberto Sabatini (Khalifa), Dr. Alessandro Gardi (Khalifa), Dr. Anna Bourmistrova (RMIT) 

• Stanford University with the University of Waterloo 
  • Modular Self-Assembling Robotic Architecture (MARA) 
  • Advisors: Prof. Anton Ermakov (Stanford), Prof. William Melek (Waterloo) 

• University of Texas, Austin 
  • AETHER: Autonomous Exploration Through Extraterrestrial Regions 
  • Advisor: Prof. Adam Nokes 

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 
  • Project Draupnir 
  • Advisor: Dr. Kevin Shinpaugh 

Large-Scale Lunar Crater Prospector Theme: 

• Iowa State University 
  • Sub-Surface Condensation Analysis Rover for Crater Exploration (SCARCE) 
  • Advisor: Dr. Matthew Nelson 

• South Dakota State University
  • POSEID-N: Prospecting Observation System for Exploration, Investigation, Discovery, and Navigation 
  • Advisor: Dr. Todd Letcher 

• Tulane University 
  • S.P.I.D.E.R: South Pole Ice Drilling and Exploration Rover 
  • Advisors: Dr. Matt Barrios 

• University of Maryland 
  • SITIS: Subsurface Ice and Terrain In-situ Surveyor 
  • Advisor: Dr. David Akin 

• University of Texas, Austin 
  • VENOM: Volatile Examining luNar prOspectors and Mothership 
  • Advisor: Prof. Adam Nokes 

Long-Duration Mars Simulation at the Moon Theme: 

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology – Lausanne (ISAE) and National Higher French Institute of Aeronautics and Space (EPFL) 
  • MARTEMIS: Mars Architecture Research using Taguchi Experiments on the Moon with International Solidarity 
  • Advisors: Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman (MIT), Madelyn Hoying (MIT), Dr. George Lordos (MIT), Dr. Olivier de Weck (MIT), Dr. Alexandros Lordos (University of Cyprus), Vsevolo Peysakhovich (ISAE), Dr. Andreas Osterwalder (EPFL), Dr. Martin Heyne (Intuitive Machines), Dr. Alexander Miller (Blue Origin) 

• University of Maryland 
  • Moon-2-Mars 
  • Advisors: Dr. David Akin, Charles Hanner 

Sustained Lunar Evolution Theme: 

• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with Barrios Technology 
  • THEIA: Trans-lunar Hub for Exploration, ISRU, and Advancement 
  • Advisors: Dr. Victoria Coverstone (UIUC), Dr. Robyn Woollands (UIUC), Alec Auster (Barrios Technology) 

• University of Maryland
  • TILE: Terrapin Infrastructure for Lunar Evolution 
  • Advisors: Dr. Jarred Young, Christopher Kingsley 

• University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez 
  • POLARIS: Permanent-Outpost Lunar Architecture for Research and Innovative Services 
  • Advisors: Dr. Bárbara Calcagno, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez

For the 2024 competition, teams were asked to submit a two-minute video and detailed seven-to-nine-page proposal addressing one of four themes related to leveraging innovation to improve our ability to operate on the Moon, Mars and beyond. They included: Long-Duration Mars Simulation at the Moon, Sustained Lunar Evolution, AI-Powered Self-Replicating Probes – an Evolutionary Approach, and Large-Scale Lunar Crater Prospector. A steering committee of NASA personnel and industry experts selected the finalists based on a review of competitive proposals. 

“Each year we come up with themes for the competition that NASA and the aerospace industry are invested in, because these are real challenges that we are facing, and every year we are impressed with the proposals we receive,” said Patrick Troutman, RASC-AL sponsor and lead for human exploration strategic assessments at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. “We heard a lot of great ideas from the university community this year, but these 14 finalists really raised the bar and impressed us.” 

RASC-AL projects allow university students to incorporate their coursework into space exploration objectives in a team environment and help bridge strategic knowledge gaps associated with NASA’s vision. The competition emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary teams.   

“It’s never an easy decision when it comes to choosing finalists, because we love working with university students across the board and appreciate how passionate they all are about aerospace, but these fourteen teams really went above and beyond in their approaches and we look forward to hearing more from them at the forum, ” said Dr. Christopher Jones, Chief Technologist for the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at Langley, and RASC-AL sponsor and judge.  

For 2024, each finalist team receives a $6,500 stipend to further develop and present their concept at the RASC-AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, where they will present their findings to a judging panel of NASA and industry experts. The teams with the top two winning papers will be invited to present their design projects to industry experts at AIAA’s 2024 ASCEND Conference. 

RASC-AL is sponsored by the Strategies and Architectures Office within the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, and by the Space Mission Analysis Branch within the Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate at Langley. It is administered by the National Institute of Aerospace. 

For more information about the RASC-AL competition, including complete theme and submission guidelines, visit: 
https://rascal.nianet.org 

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Lagniappe for April 2024

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Lagniappe for April 2024

Explore the April 2024 issue featuring:

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Gator Speaks

Picture this. The year is 2044. It is 20 years into the future, and you think to yourself, “Life is all about moments. Sometimes we recognize the moment at hand, and at other times, it passes us by before we notice. I wish I paid attention when NASA told me about the last total solar eclipse in 2024, since it has been such a long time since one was visible across the United States.”

Then, you snap out of the daydream of the future, return to the present moment, and realize, “Wait! There’s still time to view the total solar eclipse in 2024.”

The regret you were feeling from missing out on the total solar eclipse in 2024 fades. Indeed, the moment has not passed you by… yet.

The total solar eclipse coming on Monday, April 8, 2024, will in fact be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States until 2044. If you are like Gator, you may have to brush up on what the word contiguous means, which describes the adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia that make up the United States of America.

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Depending on your location, you may be in a spot where the Moon’s shadow completely covers the Sun, known as the path of totality. The sky will become dark, as if it were dawn or dusk. Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.

No matter where you are on April 8, NASA has you covered with this Solar Eclipse Guide: What to Expect: A Solar Eclipse Guide (nasa.gov).

It will help you learn more about when the eclipse will occur, where you can go to watch the eclipse, and how you will watch the eclipse safely.

Every day, NASA explores the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. On April 8, I invite you to join NASA wherever you might be and explore the views of the total solar eclipse.

INFINITY Science Center, the official visitor center of NASA Stennis, will be open on Monday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at regular admission rates. All are invited for a day of solar science.

In Case You Missed It

NASA Stennis welcomed two special guests March 6 when NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Christina Koch visited south Mississippi to view an RS-25 hot fire test. Along with NASA astronaut Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Wiseman and Koch were named to the Artemis II crew on April 3, 2023. The four astronauts will be the crew that ventures around the Moon on Artemis II as the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis.

About Gator

Gator has served as the official mascot of NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, dating back to the site’s early construction years. The character has since been featured on NASA Stennis site certificates and awards. Gator also provides a source of encouragement for all things NASA in Lagniappe, the official monthly newsletter of NASA Stennis. To subscribe to the monthly newsletter, simply send your name, location, and email address to the NASA Stennis Office of Communications. Together, we are going back to the Moon – and beyond!

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NASA Stennis Acting Director John Bailey delivered the annual State of NASA Stennis address to over 100 business and industry leaders from Mississippi and Louisiana during the 12th annual NASA Stennis Space Center Director’s Community Briefing on March 20 at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium in Slidell, Louisiana.

Bailey discussed ongoing activities at the center and the outlook for NASA Stennis’ mission objectives, including propulsion testing, autonomous systems, range operations, and growth of the federal city.

A new NASA Stennis overview video, narrated by NASA Stennis employee Barry Robinson and featuring the diverse and highly skilled NASA Stennis workforce, premiered at the briefing with community leaders to an enthusiastic response.

“I really love that video,” Bailey said to the audience. “We just produced that, and it really gives you an idea of who we are. Really, the thing I like the most is when all of our employees get up there and I see how excited they are because they are our most valuable resource we have. We could not do what we do without our employees, and we have some of the best in the world doing what we do for NASA.”

Participating speakers and organizations included: Hansel Gill, acting director of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; Jennifer Hailes, deputy technical director of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Steve Heller, founder, CEO, and CTO of Evolution Space. Mark Glorioso, chairman of Partners for Stennis & Michoud, served as emcee for the event.

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Subscription Info

Lagniappe is published monthly by the Office of Communications at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The NASA Stennis office may be contacted by at 228-688-3333 (phone); ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov (email); or NASA OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Attn: LAGNIAPPE, Mail code IA00, Building 1111 Room 173, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (mail).

The Lagniappe staff includes: Managing Editor Lacy Thompson, Editor Bo Black, and photographer Danny Nowlin.

To subscribe to the monthly publication, please email the following to ssc-office-of-communications@mail.nasa.gov – name, location (city/state), email address.

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