NASA invites students to design future Moonbuggy prototypes

There are a lot of awards handed out at the Great Moonbuggy Race, from 'Most Improved' to 'Crash and Burn,' but the one every team wants is the first-place trophy. This year was the 20th year of the annual event, held at the US Space & Rocket Center under the auspices of NASA, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Aerojet, and it was two teams from Puerto Rico that took first in both high school and college divisions.

The race tested proof-of-concept vehicles created by 89 teams of high school and college students from around the world. Teams of six competitors include one male and one female driver and they have to design a buggy that, disassembled , fits into a 4x4x4 space. When the clock starts, the teams have to build their buggies and run them over a half-mile course that mimics the moonscape; whichever team has the shortest combined time wins. The winning time from Teodoro Aguilar Moro Vocational High School (pictured) was 3:24, while the collegiate entry from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao won with a time of 3:32.