NASA Rover Challenge 2014
Team Germany College
www.spaceeducation.eu
Mathilda Drews

Die letzten Vorbereitungen
Huntsville/Alabama 09. - 10.04.2014
Morgen ist es so weit! Das große Rennen... Die letzten beiden Tage haben wir konstant mit Bauen verbracht, teils bis halb 3 Uhr morgens. Zum Glück konnten wir ein paar der Teile die wir in Deutschland vergessen hatten im Huntsville Center For Technology herstellen. Das Amerikanische Moonbuggy Team dort hat uns dafür ihre Maschinen zur Verfügung gestellt. Danach sind wir, nach einem Fernseh-Interview, von ihnen durch das Center geführt worden und konnten dem Team bei der Arbeit an ihrem Buggy zusehen. Das Geheimnis ihrer Non-pneumatischen Räder Willen die natürlich nicht teilen, aber das ist verständlich.
 
Am nächsten Tag geht es früh los und wir fahren zur Moonbuggy-Halle. Hier packen wir alles zusammen und bringen es auf das NASA Gelände.
Nachdem unsere Schutz-"Bleche" mit Logos bebügelt und den russischen sowie den deutschen Buggy mit Rädern ausgerüstet haben, fahren wir alle zusammen hin und bauen auf. Als erstes findet eine kleine Willkommenszeremonie für die Teams statt, in welcher auch noch einmal die Regeln und Sicherheitsvorschriften besprochen werden. Nach einem anschließenden Rundgang über den Renn-Kurs und durch das interaktive Museum, finden wir uns wieder auf unserem Pit ein. Tobias und ich setzten uns gleich in den Buggy und fahren ein paar Runden. Dabei üben wir den Start für das Rennen morgen, besprechen welche Gänge wir wann benutzen, schauen nach, welche Teile unseres Buggys besonders gefährdet sind und überprüfen wie sich Teile beim Fahren verhalten.
Am Abend gehen wir noch als Gruppe ins 88, ein asiatisches All-You-can-eat, um den Team Geist zu stärken und einen schönen Abend zusammen zu haben.
 
Nachdem noch ein paar Award Applications abgeschickt, Kameras aufgeladene und Rennkleidung ausgesucht ist, gehen wir alle schlafen um unsere Kräfte für den großen Tag morgen zu sammeln.
Viele Grüße!
Mathi

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Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

What is most important for each of the team members to concentrate on right now is the goal—with all of the difficulties that come along side it. Most have had little to no interaction with each other and have a great language and cultural border to leap across—but what they must keep in mind, is the goal. I am happy to say this is what I am seeing from the students as the two Moonbuggies stand today in the workshop near to completion.

The two students from Germany—Mathilda and Tobias had met just a few times before boarding the plane with me on Saturday. Tobias has been able to significantly increase his practical skills through work with ISEI and now is second in technical ability to the Chief Designer – Evgeniy Zakutin. Vadim, the member coming from the Siberian region of Russia, has one of the largest challenges of them all. His English is at the minimum and is only able to understand the basic essentials. But what is more important, is that he has a large wealth of technical ability as Tobias does and focuses completely on the work that is in front of him with the Moonbuggy. He is an essential member to the team, even though his communication skills are lacking. Vadim flew with Katerina, whom came from Moscow. Katerina (13 years old) has become the poster-face of the ISEI Russia work with the Russian news following her and her scientific knowledge and praxis. She is to learn as much as possible during our time in Huntsville to help lead a new Moonbuggy construction with Vadim in the future. Our other two team-members come from the German school in Washington D.C. They had not know anyone, nor Ralf, before they began their road trip from D.C. to Huntsville. The last member that will be participating in the challenge is my brother and he will be joining us tomorrow from Minnesota. He is greatly interested in engineering, but has not yet received any technical training and knows no one on the team.

These differences in skill-sets, languages, and culture rest between the ISEI team-members. The goal is that they overcome these political borders and use each other's differences to better reach their goal of scoring high ranks in the race this weekend.

What we see for the students in their normal life is a grand infrastructure that surrounds them where their skills and knowledge are supposed to excel. ISEI teaches them that in order to receive high grades and develop their technical skills, they must not depend entirely on that infrastructure. These things have to be accomplished individually through hard-work, practice, and mindfulness. The Moonbuggy is not put together with an instruction manual, nor with parts that have been pre-designed and pre-cut. The students must make everything from the ground-up. Technical specifications have to be met and sponsors have to be secured. The only limitation they have are themselves. How the team is selected is through self-selection. When students hear about these challenges that they will face as part of an ISEI team, many back-out without trying. What we are left with in Huntsville are only the best.

Today is work on the non-pneumatic wheels. Other parts were found missing and Evgeniy is now in charge of producing them with a special machine at a different workshop space in Huntsville. It will be difficult to manufacture these parts individually, but the students are determined to reach their goal. Ralf taught them how to make the first and now it is up to them to finish the job!

After lunch, Ralf and I left to make some visits around Huntsville. Firstly, we brought Evgeniy to the Technology Institute so that he was able to begin manufacturing the needed pieces. We received a short tour around the center but more awaits us there tomorrow. Following the institute, Ralf and I went to the Space Education Center to drop the Jesco von Puttkamer awards off. We enjoyed a nice conversation with Kat at the institute for a short while. Finally, we made our way to the top of one of the grand hills that surrounds Huntsville to visit with friends of Ralf's. We enjoyed their hospitality greatly and I look forward to seeing them again on Sunday at the Jesco von Puttkamer gathering.

We returned to the workshop at about 6pm to eight finished non-pneumatic wheels with tutorial videos made in Russian, German and English. Ralf was happy to see the work completed and this means more time to enjoy our tours tomorrow and visits around Huntsville. Hopefully Evgeniy will have the other pieces completed soon so that the Moonbuggies can be successfully finished.

NASA Rover Challenge 2014
Team College Germany
www.spaceeducation.eu
Mathilda Drews

DIY: Non-pneumo-Wheels
Huntsville/Alabama, 08.04.2014

Today we are finally going to make the non-pneumatic wheels required by NASA. After breakfast we head straight out to the hall and after a quick discussion on today’s tasks, everyone gets started.
Since Ralf has to attend some important meetings today, we will be alone in the hall and will have to manage everything ourselves. With Tobias instructions, we will make 8 wheels today.

I film the others while they make them, so we have three video tutorials in the end. One is in Russian, one in English and one in German. First, holes have to be drilled or expanded in an ordinary bicycle rim, so we can fit through a screw. Another hole fits a plastic tube onto the rim. After pulling a steel rope through the tube and the second hole we drilled, we have to tighten it with a special pulley onto the rim. This type of tube is usually used as a pipe when laying cable under the earth’s surface in construction. With cable ties and clamps, we secure the steel rope to the rim. After fitting a common rubber tire around the tube using 2 more steel cables, we are done. The fastest wheel is made in only 20 minutes by Tobias, Vadim and Jonathan. Unfortunately, we cannot test the wheels, as they only withstand three drives before the rope breaks, and we need to save those for the race.

Tomorrow we will hopefully finish the buggies and add all small extra pieces required by NASA, e.g. a flag and iron various badges onto our overalls.

See you tomorrow!
Mathi

Monday – April 7, 2014

Today was a day spent completely in the workshop. By now, the team members have gotten to know each other more and it was time to really focus on building the Moonbuggy.

After breakfast at the hotel, we loaded back into our little bus towards the house. The boys began working while I left to run errands for the team. I returned after a couple hours of grocery shopping to a half-built Moonbuggy and prepared chili-leftovers from the night before. Once we finished eating, the boys returned to work on the two buggies.

Mathilda and I began some of the accounting work that needed to be done and soon I am off to cook dinner for everyone!

The team was able to nearly finish the building of the Moonbuggies today, besides the wheels. Some parts were forgotten in Leipzig so upon arrival of the parts, they will be able to complete everything.

Tomorrow, they will finish what they are able to and we will work on attaching the advertisements to the buggies. We will also be creating flags that will be attached and reviewing the rules to see if the buggies qualify.

A lot of work was accomplished today and hopefully just as much tomorrow. This way, we will have time to participate in tours later this week and see more of the great Huntsville!

NASA Rover Challenge 2014
Team Germany College
www.spaceeducation.eu
Tobias Meier

Neue Teile
Huntsville/Alabama

Heute wird wieder pünklich 7 Uhr aufgestanden. Gegen um 8 Uhr gehen wir, Mario Denzler und ich, zum Frühstück. Dort treffen wir auf Mathilda Drews und Amanda Spencer. Wieder gibt es ein Baggle zum Frühstück, das sollte reichen.

9 Uhr geht es los zum Moonbugy bauen. Alle Teile die anbaubereit sind werden angebaut. Einige Teile müssen bestellt werden. Ralf und ich fahren zu Trailhead wo wir unsere Fahrradteile bestellen können. Danach bauen wir die Polster an unseren Igus Buggy.

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Das Russische Team hat bereits ihren Buggy soweit aufgebaut wie unseren. Wenn alles gut geht kommen die fehlenden Teile am Mittwoch und wir können alles fertig zusammen bauen. Morgen werden wir die Non-Pneumatic Weels bauen, mal sehen ob wir das hinbekommen.

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