original: http://www.spaceeducation.de/de/termine/details/15-Award-2012.html

We invite all students, parents, teacher, industrials, sponsors, donators and partners of all five ISEI-Teams of the NASA-Moonbuggy-Races 2012.

Saturday, 5th of Mai 2012, start 5 pm
Space Hotel Leipzig, Wurzner Str. 4, 04315 Leipzig

Travellers can book with 30% discount forn all rooms in the Space Hotel (so long there are free accomodations).
book here!

program:

- Laudatio of a prominent ISEI-partner
- short presentations of all teams about their experiences and results
- movie of the most spectacular szenes in USA
- sponsors and partners report about their experiences with this project
- ISEI-Awards 2012
- view into the future / projects for 2012/2013
- Get together – exibition of 3 Moonbuggys (Buggy Nr. 4 is display in the US-Space Center in Huntsville)

also invitation for sunday, 6th of May 2012: Fockeberg-Race with 3 Moonbuggys

Logging: There are pork on the spit and beer from the barrel from a historical truck.

This celebration will held on the open air areal of the International Space Education Institutes (tent, stage, grill, beer-garden-chairs, ...)

Tickets are free for all partner of the Moonbuggy-Project and ISEI-Members.
A written application is important: name/company and count of people.
register here!  

next events 2012:
- 6. May 2012: Fockeberg-Race with 3 Moonbuggys and thousands of visitors in Leipzig
- 10. May 2012: Pressconference and Award Ceremony in Venedig
- 14. May 2012:  4 Moonbuggys at the LVZ Fahrradfest in Leipzig
- 2.-10. Juni 2012: Moonbuggy on the AMI Leipzig (car salon)
- 1. July – 31. August 2012: International Moonbuggy Summerschool Leipzig
- 30.8. – 2.9.2012: Moonbuggy-presentation to the opening of the new Pausdorf-Centers
- 31. August 2012: Moonbuggy-Contest in Leipzig
- 11.-16. September 2012: ISEI-Shop with Moonbuggys on the Berlin Air Show
- 2. December 2012: Moonbuggy-competition in Venedig
- February 2013: Mallorca-Moonbuggy-Trainingscamp

Written by: Ralf Heckel
Translated by: Nadin Rößler, Mirandah Rider

Huntsville, the 14th of April 2012

Team Germany 1
Race number 8, Moonbuggy “Ganymed”
Max Frank and Viktoria Lagemann

- International Team Award

The data: Race time: 3:38 minutes, assembly-time: 40 seconds, one successful run
The award (donated by NASA-headquarter) was given for the pioneer work of that team and its supporters, to motivate, to look after and to train international teams for 6 years as well as to bring 3 other teams to Huntsville this year.

Team Germany 2
Race number 9, Moonbuggy “Calypso”,
Tobias Meier and Michaela Ebert

- 13th place of 44

The data: Race time: 4:38 minutes, assembly-time: 16 seconds, 2 successful runs
Great performance as newcomers! Unfortunately it was not enough for the Rookie-Award and neither for the Telemetry-Award, that the Judge would have gladly given (the written application was missed)
 

Team Russia
Race number 10, Moonbuggy “Lunochod 3”
Roman Tarasov and Marina Tereshkova

- 4th place (only 1 second distance to the 3rd place)
- Telemetry Award
- Best Design Award

The data: Race time? assembly-time: 9 seconds, one successful run
Telemetry-Award (worth of 500 dollars): for a constant processing of the recorded data from the last years and their incorporating in the actual construction by CAD-CAM, using of several on-board cameras for the analysis of different assemblies.
Best Design Award (worth of 1000 dollars): for an excellent written, practical and oral engineering performance, for the workup of an evolutionary construction that is used as an internship project for engineering students
 

Team Italy/ India:
Race number: 11, Moonbuggy “Titanium”

Simon Galetti and Laura Martin (1st race)
Sahib Singh and Harshmeet Kaur (2nd race)

- 23rd place of 44
- Invitation to show their Moonbuggy constantly in the US Space & Rocket Center

The data: race-time: 9:26 minutes, best assembly-time of our teams with 8 seconds, Team Italy could absolve 50% of the race successful and had to move it then because of an axle break, Team India absolved the 2nd race slowly but successful; 2 out of 10 Indian teams reached the final, the ISEI-Moonbuggy “Titanium” the number 1 of them, there will be an intern “Best India Team Award” from the ISEI. Team Italy on the same buggy will get the “Best Assembly Time Award”.

The Invitation of the NASA-Center

Huntsville, the 15th April 2012 by Ralf Heckel

Tiredness comes out. The effort calls toll. During the Award-Ceremony under the gigantic moon rocket “Saturn V” after the 2nd race in the low and blinding sun, it’s very difficult for the members to keep the eyes open. Highly paid speakers have good speeches but the understanding of the English language is exhausting.

Today, the administrator of the NASA was there, Charles Bolden. He personally wishes good luck for the teams, for the rookies Tobias and Michaela, too. Thereupon everything went well. All our teams absolved the race without injuries and reached the final. The Huntsville Times titles with a photo of our colorful multinational team. All the buggies are in good technical condition after the race but nevertheless dusty. All the pilots are exhausted, but alive and well. Just one viewer is injured. One Venetian team member stumbled in cause of his enthusiasm and fell. He had to get a bandage for his knee, graze.

One astronaut is speaking while all the ISEI-members wake up in the Davidson Center. He praises the multinational work of the ISEI for which borders are no obstacles and which pulls together undeterred by all the resistors for the future with young people for building a Moonbuggy. He said: “That’s how we imagine our future and that’s just how it can work. You do a great job. You enriched the work of the NASA”. During that he points to the German-Russian-Indian-Italian Moonbuggy which stands orange next to him. Yesterday, the team baptized it on TV-camera with the name “Titanium” (after a moon in the Saturn-System). Today, it’s the only one of 88 Moonbuggies that is allowed to stand in the exhibition hall next to the real Apollo-Moonrover and all the exhibits of 50 years space history.

Then, the director of the Space & Rocket Center comes to the desk and explains, that they decided to build a constant Moonbuggy course in the space center, for giving the teams the chance to train the whole year and to improve their Moonbuggies. She heard from a headmaster that the level is now so high that it’s nearly impossible for newcomers to get connected. They are now looking for the right solutions for integration.

To motivate the hundred thousand guests of the center and more students, they need a Moonbuggy In their constant exhibition. It should inspire. The Moonbuggy Race belongs already to the history of the US-Space with his 19 years history, that’s why it’s high time to show some Moonbuggies. The surprise follows directly. She asks the teams of the presented multinational Moonbuggy from Leipzig to provide it lent for the exhibition for one year. “This Moonbuggy inspired all of us most these days. It personifies all our values with all its teams and the philosophy behind. We are very proud of that.” The cheers and applause is big for such an honor. All the people whole hall stand up and applause. Everyone notes the flushing of the team members of the ISEI.

Now, it’s time for the naked truth. The Awards and the teams will be called now. There are a lot of teams. Especially, the Arabs from the united emirates are very noticeable. They are new at the Moonbuggy race and wear their special “Space Suit”. The men have white vestments like a sheik. The women wear the same in black. They get two awards.

Then the words “International Space Education Institute” fall. Cosma jumps up firstly and runs to the front to get her price. Then follows team Russia. We are called two times more. At the end, team Russia has two high-graded awards and the first German team gets one, too. The others don’t do have nothing; they are richer in experience now.

The International Space Education Institute says goodbye in Huntsville then with a lot of new contacts to technology companies and the University of the Town.

The institute and its supporters invested in the last three weeks an amount of 20.000 euros for flights, overnights, rental bus, fuel, food and program for their goal. They students paid a daily rate of 18 Euros per day alone. Everything else was paid by sponsors and donors. In Huntsville, the ISEI did donation receipts with a value of 3800 Euros to goodhearted US-citizens that gladly supported the programs of the institution.

We thank all our sponsors, partners and donators for their support. Their logos will be placed for one year in the space exhibition of the US-Space & Rocket Center, now, in front of an audience of millions.

Photos (overview)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/sets/72157629464074266/

Photos for the press (usual fee rate by calling the specified source)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/collections/72157629308788259/

First videos from the race
http://youtube.com/spaceeducation

Huntsville Times
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2012/04/nasas_great_moonbuggy_race_dra.html
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2012/04/great_moonbuggy_team_says_it_c.html
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/nasa_administrator_charles_bol_6.html
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/nasa_administrator_charles_bol_5.html

WHNT, Channel 9 (TV in HD)
http://whnt.com/2012/04/13/great-moonbuggy-race-motivates-students-to-explore-engineering/
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc/videos

Written by: Ralf Heckel
Translated by: Nadin Rößler

Huntsville/Alabama the 13th of April 2012

Newsflash: Not because of superstition, but because of the naked truth became that day to one of the most important lessons of the year before. Today emerged every single sense of the current core values. They had been rewarded to the ones and punished to the others for the smallest negligence.

Our group competed with a captivating team-choreography and had been admired by the local TV in the earliest morning for their perfection. But the management of the organizer had been changed very much this year. There was a change, a lot of people retired. The results of the new makers are much harder obstacles with installed steel and concrete parts. That’s the reason why old experiences of the foreign years are things of the past now, and all teams realized that today. In the college competition came just 25% of all members through the race.

In the group of our 8 pilots was just one with track experience, Max Frank from Team Germany 1. Even Max got to feel the full force of the new truth, today. At his Moonbuggy occurred already small shortcomings while the inspection at the assembly that had been punished with a time of 40 seconds. After a start that had been delayed by hours got both front wheels already a total loss after the first obstacle. He and his copilot Viktoria still moved the Moonbuggy to the finish within the specified time limit.

Team Russia managed successful 70% of the track and had then at one obstacle such a high jump that the tie rod broke. They still moved their buggy successful to the finish, too and thus got the 8th place at that day.

Team Italy absolved 25% of the track successful until a material error occurred at the weld of the back axle. This axle had been produced as stated by Leipzig in Venice, but with a wrong welding process and an imprecise fit. One back wheel broke. But pilots Simon and Laura are tough and high motivated. They also moved their buggy successful to the finish.

The surprise of that day after all these experiences had been Team Germany 2. Entirely without prejudice Tobias Meier (15) and Michaela Ebert (14) reached the finish in just 4 minutes. They indeed had to fight with some self training Ehlers (Assembly time 16 sec) and it also rained penalty minutes because Michaela had to leave the buggy or Tobias messed up a pylon, but that all can be corrected today. This day welded all the 20 members together and that’s why all the won data could be evaluated on the same evening.  Every Moonbuggy has 3 on-board cameras that record different parts of the technique, the track and the pilots. This data has been turned out as very valuable.

After an extensive buffet for dinner, everyone went directly to bed.

The technical conclusion: All parts that had been produced in Leipzig are slightly increased for the new requirements. Problems were the new chosen standard parts and two in Venice produced plug-in parts. All buggies are already repaired and ready for use on the same day at 6 o’clock pm.
Overview of the day in pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/sets/72157629448997404/

von Ralf Heckel, Huntsville, 12. April 2012

Für nicht viele Schüler in Europa ist es vorstellbar, die Osterferien in der USA zu verbringen. Für die europäischen Piloten und Mechaniker des NASA-Moonbuggy-Rennens ist es seit 6 Jahren Routine. In diesem Jahr aber ist es anders. Anstelle eines kleinen Teams von 4-6 Schülern, befinden sich seit einer Woche 20 Schüler aus 4 Nationen stellvertretend für Europa in der Mondraketenstadt Huntsville Alabama. Sie sind die einzigen Vertreter ihres Kontinentes.

In Teamwork bauten sie ihre 4 Moonbuggys in einem von privater Hand bereitgestellten US-Warenhaus zusammen, welches ein beherzter Geschäftsmann zur Verfügung stellte. NASA-Ingenieure bringen Werkzeuge und Maschinen vorbei, um die jungen Konstrukteure bei ihrer Arbeit mit Material und ab und zu auch mal einem Berg Hamburger, Pizzas oder einer Einladung zu Veranstaltungen zu unterstützen. Die Universität von Huntsville Alabama sperrt ihre Türen weit auf und bietet PHD-Programme den Studenten und Praktikas den Schülern an.

Die freiwillige Hilfe ist die Triebfeder der Motivation, welche alle Teilnehmer im Alter von 14-24 in diesem Jahr begleiten. „Integrität“ ist der Zusammenhalt. Nur beenden müssen sie diesen Weg selbst. Und der startet morgen.  Es sind Firmen, Privatpersonen, Lehrer, Professoren und auch Angestellte aus Behörden, die den Weg frei machen. Alle organisieren sich im Verein namens „International Space Education Institute“ und leisten damit einen wichtigen Beitrag für die Zukunft unserer Gesellschaft im Ingenieurwesen und der Wissenschaft.

Nach einer jeweils etwa 24-stündigen Flugreise mit einem zerlegten Fahrzeug in den Koffern, landeten zwischen Montag und Mittwoch der vergangenen Woche alle 4 Teams in Alabama. Gemeinsame Erlebnisse beim Aufbau ihrer „Moonbuggy Assembly Facility“, zahlreichen Exkursionen und Gesprächen mit Wissenschaftlern, Journalisten, Firmeninhabern und Lehrern schweißte die Schüler aus Deutschland, Italien, Russland und Indien mit ihren US-Kollegen zusammen.

Bewegt hat viele das Gespräch mit der Ehefrau des inzwischen verstorbenen Prof. Ernst Stuhlingers. Alle besuchten daraufhin die Gräber des German Rocket Teams und die Research Hall der Universität Huntsville Alabama. So kamen in 8 Tagen bereits 40 Einzelveranstaltungen zusammen.

Mit viel Mühe und weiterem Fleiß konnte der Zusammenbau der Fahrzeuge gelingen. Training und Feinabstimmung sowie das Aufbringen der sind abgeschlossen. Es entstanden bereits eine stattliche Anzahl von Erlebnisberichten, Fotos und Kurzvideos.

Das NASA-Moonbuggy Rennen ist ein Wettbewerb der US-Raumfahrtagentur zur Förderung technisch-wissenschaftlicher Fähigkeiten. Es soll ein Fahrzeug dem Apollo-Mondrover nachempfunden und mit Muskelkraft einem mondähnlichen Kurs ins Ziel gebraucht werden. Es schwingt ein hohes Niveau an Begeisterung, sportlichem Einsatz, technischem Verständnis und handwerklichem Können mit. Für europäische Schüler, welche erst seit 2007 teilnehmen dürfen, ist die wirtschaftliche Herausforderung und das Netzwerken eine weitere Disziplin die Königsklasse abverlangt.

Gerade diese Schwelle zwischen „Nicht möglich erscheinen“ und „dennoch schaffen können“, lässt die Schüler und Schülerinnen über sich selbst hinaus wachsen und mit sehr brauchbaren Fähigkeiten für die Zukunft ausstatten.

Das Rennen findet am 13.-14. April in Huntsville Alabama statt. Es wird live übertragen von http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc

Die Erlebnisse und Erfahrungen haben die Teilnehmer zur Weitergabe an Interessenten im Internet hinterlegt. Sie können die letzten und künftigen Tage hier mitverfolgen:

Fotos
Filmmaterial
Erlebnisberichte der Schüler

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