NASA AND THE CHALLENGER CENTER ANNOUNCE NAMING CONTEST

WASHINGTON — NASA and the Challenger Center for Space Education have
partnered to engage students in ongoing activities for one of NASA’s
concepts for astronaut housing on the moon through a contest to name a
habitat in Antarctica. NASA currently is conducting a test of a
lightweight, durable, inflatable habitat on the cold, harsh landscape of
the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station.

The Challenger Center is organizing and conducting the “Name that
Habitat” competition for students in kindergarten through twelfth grades
from Oct 21 to Nov. 20, 2008. The Challenger Center will recruit subject
matter experts to serve as judges for the contest and will provide
prizes and other items for the winner and participants.
The winning name will be selected later this year and announced by
scientists in Antarctica in January 2009. Student, teachers and the
public will be able to follow the progress of inflatable habitat
activities throughout the project.

The habitat was funded through NASA’s Innovative Partnership Program’s
Seed Fund initiative, with in-kind resource contributions by the
National Science Foundation and ILC Dover of Frederica, Del., the
manufacturer of the structure. An inflatable habitat is one of several
concepts being considered for astronaut housing on the moon.

The structure looks something like an inflatable backyard bounce house
for children, but it is far more sophisticated. It is insulated, heated
and is pressurized, and has power. It offers 384 square feet of living
space and has, at its highest point, an 8-foot ceiling.
During the test period, sensors will allow engineers to monitor the
habitat’s performance.

The contest helps NASA fulfill its mission to promote an interest in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. The
Challenger Center is an international, nonprofit educational
organization founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts lost
during the last flight of the space shuttle Challenger. The goal of the
organization is to foster student interest in careers in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics.

For more information about entering the Name that Habitat contest,
visit:

http://www.challenger.org/hab

The inflatable habitat is being developed under NASA’s Innovative
Partnerships Program. For more information about the program, visit:

http://www.ipp.nasa.gov

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

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