A word cloud created from trainee essay entries.
Credits: NASA/Dave Lam
Kristin JansenPublic Affairs Specialist
Apr 08, 2024
NASA has actually picked the 9 finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge, a nationwide competitors for K-12 trainees including the making it possible for power of radioisotopes.
NASA picked 9 finalists out of the 45 semifinalist trainee essays in the Power to Explore Challenge, a nationwide competitors for K-12 trainees including the allowing power of radioisotopes. Participants were challenged to check out how NASA has actually powered a few of its most popular science objectives and to think up how their individual “incredibly power” would stimulate their success by themselves radioisotope-powered science objective.
The competitors asked trainees to learn more about NASA’s Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), a kind of “nuclear battery” that the company utilizes to check out a few of the most severe locations in our planetary system and beyond. As cities throughout the United States experience an overall solar eclipse, we experience very first hand a short-lived glance into what life would resemble without sunshine. This accentuates how NASA can power objectives at locations that can not count on the energy of the Sun, such as deep craters on the Moon and deep area expedition. In 250 words or less, trainees discussed an objective of their own allowed by these area power systems and explained their own power to attain their objective objectives.
The Power to Explore Challenge used trainees the chance to get more information about these reputable power systems, commemorate their own strengths, and engage with NASA’s varied labor force. This year’s contest got 1,787 sent entries from 48 states and Puerto Rico.
Carl Sandifer
Supervisor, Radioisotope Power Systems Program
“The RPS Program is so pleased by the concepts and quality of composing that emerged from essays sent to NASA’s Power to Explore Challenge,” stated Carl Sandifer, NASA’s supervisor for the Radioisotope Power Systems Program in Cleveland. “We want to praise the finalists, and we eagerly anticipate inviting the winners to NASA’s Glenn Research Center this summertime.”
Entries were divided into 3 classifications: grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Every trainee who sent an entry got a digital certificate and an invite to the Power Up virtual occasion that revealed the semifinalists. Trainees learnt more about what powers the NASA labor force to dream huge and collaborate to check out.
3 nationwide finalists in each grade classification (9 finalists overall) have actually been chosen. In addition to getting a NASA RPS reward pack, these individuals will be welcomed to an unique virtual conference with a NASA engineer or researcher to discuss their objectives and have their area expedition concerns responded to. Winners will be revealed on April 17.
- Katerine Leon, Long Beach, CA
- Rainie Lin, Lexington, KY
- Zachary Tolchin, Guilford, CT
- Aadya Karthik, Redmond, WA
- Andrew Tavares, Bridgewater, MA
- Sara Wang,