September 7, 2010 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation (AIAA Foundation) is pleased to announce that a team from The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., has won first prize in the Foundation's annual Undergraduate Space Transportation Design Competition.
The 2009� contest asked teams to design a space transportation architecture centered around propellant depots, with an initial operation capability in 2020 and a 10-year operational lifetime.
Teams winning awards were:
First Prize: The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va., for their design "Colbert." Kevin Shinpaugh, faculty advisor, Andrew Lyford, team leader, and team members Eric Buckenmeyer, Joshua Eggleston, Katherine Rybacki, Umair Surani, and Kris Walbert. The team will receive an award of $2,500 from the AIAA Foundation.
Second Prize: Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz., for their design "Astro Devils." James K. Villarreal, project advisor; Tyler R. Milner, team leader, and team members: Regal Ferrulli, Benjamin Jimerez, Burcu Kececi, Amanda Mattheis, Peter Renslow, Aishwarya Stanley, and Michael Veto. The team will receive an award of $1,500 from the AIAA Foundation.
Third Prize: San Diego State University, San Diego, Calif., for their design "Human Exploration and Reconnaissance of a Massive Extraterrestrial Space-born object (HERMES)." Nagy Nosseir, faculty advisor, Daniel Nelson, team leader, and team members Andres Cedano, Jesse Cuevas, Tuan Luong, Eric Miller, Benjamin Pochop, and Samantha Stoneman. The team will receive an award of $1,000 from the AIAA Foundation.
For more information on the AIAA Foundation Undergraduate Space Transportation Design Competition, please contact Stephen Brock at stephenb@aiaa.org or 703.264.7536.
The AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational programs. By devoting resources to the education of both practicing and future aerospace professionals, and by recognizing professional achievement, the AIAA Foundation influences the future of aerospace. The AIAA Foundation offers a wealth of resources to support educators at both the university level and K, including scholarships, classroom grants, design competitions, and student conferences. The AIAA Foundation's financial assistance enables educators and students to improve scientific literacy and advance the arts and sciences of aerospace.
AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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