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NASA announced the winners on Wednesday of the third annual Power to Explore Challenge, a national writing competition designed to teach K-12 students about the power of radioisotopes for space exploration.<\/p>\n
The competition asked students to learn about NASA\u2019s Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), \u201cnuclear batteries\u201d the agency uses to explore some of the most extreme destinations in the solar system and beyond. In 250 words or less, students wrote about a mission of their own enabled by these space power systems and described their own power to achieve their mission goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Power to Explore Challenge is the perfect way to inspire students \u2013 our Artemis Generation \u2013 to reach for the stars and beyond and help NASA find new ways to use radioisotopes to power our exploration of the cosmos,\u201d said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.<\/p>\n
Entries were split into three groups based on grade level, and a winner was chosen from each. The three winners, along with a guardian, are invited to NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland for a VIP tour of its world-class research facilities.<\/p>\n
The winners are:<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations to this year\u2019s winners and participants \u2013 together, we discover and explore for the benefit of all,\u201d Fox said.<\/p>\n
The Power to Explore Challenge offered students the opportunity to learn about space power, celebrate their strengths, and interact with NASA\u2019s diverse workforce. This year\u2019s contest received nearly 1,787 submitted entries from 48 states and Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n
Every student who submitted an entry received a digital certificate and an invitation to the Power Up virtual event held on March 15 that announced the 45 national semifinalists. Additionally, the national semifinalists received a NASA RPS prize pack.<\/p>\n
NASA announced three finalists in each age group (nine total) during Total Eclipse Fest 2024 in Cleveland on April 8, a day when millions of Americans saw a brief glimpse of life without sunlight, creating an opportunity to shed light on how NASA could power missions without the Sun\u2019s energy at destinations such as deep lunar craters or deep space. Finalists also were invited to discuss their mission concepts with a NASA scientist or engineer during a virtual event.<\/p>\n
The challenge is funded by the NASA Science Mission Directorate\u2019s RPS Program Office and administered by Future Engineers under the NASA Open Innovation Services 2 contract. This contract is managed by the NASA Tournament Lab, a part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n
For more information on radioisotope power systems visit:<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n -end-<\/p>\n Karen Fox\u00a0\/\u00a0Charles Blue Kristin Jansen
Headquarters, Washington
301-286-6284\u00a0\/\u00a0202-802-5345
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov\u00a0\/\u00a0charles.e.blue@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-296-2203
kristin.m.jansen@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n