A team from NPS International Singapore won the safety award at the 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge organised by American space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at “rocket city” Huntsville in Alabama.
The eight core students, supported by another 20 from classes 9,10 and 11, created a working model of a human-powered rover that could traverse a simulated Martian terrain.
The rover featured an aluminum chassis, custom-designed wheels and a drivetrain based on the concept of a tandem bicycle.
The competition’s safety category judges a team’s level of innovation and adherence to safety parameters. It is assessed through various stages, starting from the initial concept and design phases to the awareness demonstrated in specifying safety standards during fabrication.
The NPSI team maintained high safety standards throughout the various stages. It also showed exceptional teamwork, attention to detail and a solution-oriented mindset.
The team, called Reach Rovers, was commended by the judges for incorporating innovative design ideas, such as using high-weight alloys for the rover body, multiple levels of suspension to traverse the simulated Martian terrain and a curved spoke design for the wheels.
“All these factors contributed to the stability and safety of the rover,” said Riddhima Bajpai, 15, co-leader of the winning team.
Teams were awarded points based on navigating a half-mile obstacle course, conducting mission-specific tasks and completing multiple safety and design reviews with NASA engineers.
The annual NASA event saw high school and university teams from 14 countries. The 600 students who participated were divided into 72 teams.
