• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Lima Mind and Muscle to Compete in Moonbuggy Race

Posted on: Sunday, 4 June 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Tim Rausch, The Lima News, Ohio

Jun. 4--LIMA -- Christa Krohn is now more than a math teacher at Lima Senior High School. She can add moonbuggy coach to her list of duties.

A dozen students have 10 months to raise the money to build two moonbuggies and train to race them on the grounds of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama.

Krohn, who saw the most recent Great Moonbuggy Race in April, said there are more than financial challenges for the students. It will take muscle and mind to make a copy of the lunar rover and conquer the half-mile moon-like track.

Krohn said $1,200 of the $8,500 has been raised so far. The high school students will spend their summer break raising money, she said.

"We need money to buy parts. This summer, the students will be working on design and hopefully in August, we'll begin building. We have only a couple of months to raise the money," Krohn said.

Krohn said letters have been sent to area businesses to solicit the money needed to make the buggies and enter the race.

The race was first held in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The race challenges students to design and build a human-powered vehicle that will traverse simulated moonscape terrain.

"I guess I'm a NASA junkie. I was looking on a Web site for projects for my class that was science-related," Krohn said. "I teach at the school of multiple intelligences and this would be perfect for what we do in the classroom."

NASA has some engineering problems for the students to overcome, Krohn said. The moon buggy must be able to be packed in a 4-foot cube. Krohn said the students must also assemble the buggy before the race. Assembly time gets added onto their half-mile course time, she said. "They have to simulate a radar and a control panel."

"They look a lot like gocarts," said Aaron Torres, 17, who will be a senior next year.

Aaron said the two teams of six will have their first design meeting on Thursday.

"I found out we're going to be competing with other schools around the nation. I thought it would be kind of fun," Aaron said. "I think it will be a good experience for everybody."

Two engineering instructors at Rhodes State College will assist the students through the design challenges, Krohn said.

Krohn and other moonbuggy coaches watched the race. "What a physical challenge it is as well," Krohn said. "The course is only 1 foot wider than the moonbuggy. They have the Sea of Tranquility re-created. Huge potholes and things to go over. Not only do we need some smart kids, we need some athletes in order to compete."

Each buggy will be powered by one boy and one girl. Aaron doesn't know if he will be one of the peddlers. "We're going to start conditioning soon also, in the next couple of weeks."

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Lima News, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Source: The Lima News

More News in this Category