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By Celine Smith<\/em><\/p>\n More than 100,000 people from across the world gathered April 8 in Russellville, Arkansas, to witness an astronomical syzygy \u2013 the alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth \u2013 creating a solar eclipse with totality lasting 4 minutes and 12 seconds.<\/p>\n Team members from NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center and others traveled to Arkansas to provide educational opportunities related to the eclipse. Experts from NASA\u2019s Stennis Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and NASA Headquarters, along with representatives of the Arkansas Air National Guard and the Paris Observatory in Muedon, France, joined the Marshall team.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve conducted outreach before, but nothing on this scale,\u201d said Patrick Koehn, heliophysics research and analysis lead at NASA Headquarters. \u201cThe logistics were on another level, it was impressive to see it come together, and I\u2019m thrilled we engaged so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the eclipse, NASA hosted exhibits and outreach activities for the public and gave presentations for students at Arkansas Tech University and the Russellville School District. Visitors were also given an opportunity to meet retired NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, who signed autographs and greeted the crowds.<\/p>\n Marshall Center Director Joseph Pelfrey also attended this celestial experience, giving remarks at the Russellville watch party about the eclipse and the work of Marshall\u2019s Heliophysics and Planetary Science Branch.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks to our collaboration with the city of Russellville, we helped host one of the agency\u2019s most successful eclipse events,\u201d Pelfrey said. \u201cPeople came from across the nation and the world to share the experience with us. It was incredible to witness my first total solar eclipse alongside the Marshall team in Arkansas.\u201d<\/p>\n Russellville was one of the cities featured in NASA\u2019s live eclipse broadcast, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA. The three-hour broadcast covered the path of the eclipse across 15 states, from Texas to Maine, garnering more than one million live viewers. Currently, the broadcast has more than 13 million views. Russellville was noted for its clear skies, providing spectators with one of the most visible sightings of the eclipse.<\/p>\n The 2024 solar eclipse was especially spectacular due to the prominences visible during totality. Solar protected cameras captured the fiery red arcs around the edge of the Moon and Sun.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was my first total solar eclipse, and it was an awesome experience,\u201d said Bob Loper, research astrophysicist at Marshall. \u201cIt was incredible to see phenomena I\u2019ve spent my career studying \u2013 actually seeing solar prominences of the Sun was an experience I\u2019ll never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n View more photos of the April 8 eclipse from NASA.<\/p>\n Smith, a Media Fusion employee, supports the Marshall Office of Communications.<\/em><\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Chad Summers has been named as the director of the Test Laboratory for the Engineering Directorate at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center, effective April 21.<\/p>\n An integral part of the Engineering Directorate, the Test Laboratory encompasses a wide range of specialized capabilities NASA uses to conduct testing for space flight hardware research, development, qualification, acceptance, and anomaly resolution. As director, Summers will provide executive leadership for all aspects of the Laboratory, including workforce, budget, infrastructure, and operations for testing.<\/p>\n Summers has been the chief of the Structural Design and Analysis Division at Marshall since 2019. In that role, he supervised a division of civil service and contractor engineers to assure the successful design, development, and integration of large, complex launch vehicles and spacecraft systems to meet NASA\u2019s Human Exploration and Science Mission objectives. From 2018 to 2019, Summers was the division\u2019s deputy chief.<\/p>\n From 2015 to 2018, he was chief of the Systems Requirements and Verification branch. Summers led the Systems Design and Definition branch from 2011 to 2015. From 2007 to 2011, he was chief of the Systems Requirements, Interfaces, and Verification branch. Summers was deputy chief of the Engine Systems and Main Propulsion Systems branch from 2004 to 2007.<\/p>\n Summers has almost 30 years of experience at NASA and worked at both Kennedy Space Center and Stennis Space Center prior to coming to Marshall in 2001 as a test operations manager in the Next Generation Launch Technology Project Office.<\/p>\n He has received several of the agency\u2019s highest awards, including NASA\u2019s Outstanding Leadership Medal, Exceptional Service Medal, Marshall Director\u2019s Commendation, and multiple Group Achievement and Special Service awards.<\/p>\n A native of Titusville, Florida, Summers received his bachelor\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Central Florida. He lives in Huntsville with his wife, Jennifer.<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n NASA will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the\u00a0Human Exploration Rover Challenge\u00a0when the competition returns to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center\u2019s Aviation Challenge Course in Huntsville April 19-20.\u00a0The event is free and open to the public with rover excursions occurring each day from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until the last rover completes the obstacle course.\u00a0<\/p>\n NASA selected 72 student teams in October to begin an engineering design challenge to build human-powered rovers that will compete at the course near the agency\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center.<\/p>\n The public is invited to watch more than 600 students from around the world attempt to navigate a complex obstacle course by piloting a human-powered vehicle of their own design and production. <\/p>\n Participating\u00a0teams\u00a0represent 42 colleges and\u00a0universities and 30 high schools from 24 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 13 other nations from around the world. NASA\u2019s\u00a0handbook\u00a0has complete proposal guidelines and task challenges.<\/p>\n To conclude the 2024 season, NASA will host an in-person awards ceremony April 20 at 5 p.m. inside the Space Camp Operations Center at the rocket center. NASA and industry representatives will present multiple awards highlighting team successes throughout the past eight-month-long engineering design project, including awards for best rover design, best pit crew award, best social media presence, and many other accomplishments.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Human Exploration Rover Challenge tasks high school, college, and university students around the world to design, build, and test their lightweight, human-powered rovers on a course simulating lunar and Martian terrain, all while completing mission-focused science tasks. Eligible teams compete to be among the top three finishers in their divisions, and to win awards for best vehicle design, best rookie team, and more.<\/p>\n The challenge annually draws hundreds of students from around the world and reflects the goals of NASA\u2019s\u00a0Artemis campaign, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.\u00a0<\/p>\n The event was launched in 1994 as the NASA Great Moonbuggy Race \u2013 a collegiate competition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the\u00a0Apollo 11 lunar landing.\u00a0It expanded in 1996 to include high school teams, evolving again in 2014 into the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Since its inception, more than 15,000 students have participated. Many former competitors now work in the aerospace industry, including with NASA.<\/p>\n The Human Exploration Rover Challenge is managed by NASA\u2019s Southeast Regional Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall and is one of eight\u00a0Artemis Student Challenges. NASA\u2019s\u00a0Office of STEM Engagement\u00a0uses challenges and competitions to further the agency\u2019s goal of encouraging students to pursue degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u203a Back to Top<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n \n