Eric Elizondo, Trevor Hunter, and Conall Mayo-Shanahan pose in front of their project, codenamed “U.C.O.M.” The group is from various middle schools from around the valley. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
Colonizing a moon of Mars is not an easy task.
However, more than 1,300 students from 20 schools around Arizona flocked to Arizona State University Polytechnic Campus to compete in the 18th annual Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge to do just that.
Nearly 300 separate teams of three to five students each created scale models and wrote reports about how they wanted to colonize and sustain a base of operations on Phobos. The reports included written descriptions of the original landing site, sequences of launches and the construction plans of the Phobos base. The teams presented their ideas to judges of the competitions who are Honeywell engineers.
The Aerospace Challenge is one of the largest STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) competitions in the state of Arizona.
There are three days of preliminary rounds. The top two teams with the highest scores from each day will move on to the finals.
Those six teams will have to create a 10-minute oral presentation and answer questions on the spot from Honeywell engineers later this month. The team with the highest score wins an all-expenses paid trip to the Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, an on-field appearance at the upcoming Fiesta Bowl, as well as plaques commemorating the victory.
A welcome sign greets students to the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge. More than 1,300 students from 20 different Arizona schools competed. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
A view from above of the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge held on Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus in Mesa on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
Seventh grade students Nicholas Kahhan, Sebastian Sanchez and Daniel Wade from Kyrene Altadena Middle School show off their project, codenamed “Soup.” (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
Each group’s presentation must include a written report about the logistics of the colonization of Phobos, a moon of Mars, as well as a scale model of their plan. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
Teams are required to build models detailing potential living quarters for the crews on Phobos as well as ways to stay sustainable. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
A judge from Honeywell discusses the plans proposed by Conall Mayo-Shanahan, Trevor Hunter and Eric Elizondo. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
One team’s plan for colonizing Phobos, a moon of Mars, stands on display. Over the three days, 1,300 students from 20 schools will get feedback from Honeywell engineers about their plans. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
Students can win medals and awards while competing in the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)
The Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge is one of the largest STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program for grade school and middle school students in Arizona. (Photo by Josh Orcutt/Cronkite News)