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EDUCATION: DESIGN CHALLENGES/COMPETITIONS
NASA DESIGN CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
Competitions that challenge students to create design/build solutions to real-world problems are a proven method for engaging youth in technical disciplines. NASA offers a number of aeronautics or aerospace engineering competitions.

NASA Aeronautics 2008-2009 Student Competition Goes SupersonicNEW
High school and college students are invited to propose ideas or design concepts for a commercial transport that can fly faster than the speed of sound over land or water. For high school students, notices of intent are due December 15, 2008 and final papers are due March 15, 2009. For college students, notices of intent are due January 15, 2009 and final papers are due April 30, 2009. Full details are at the competition Web site.
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NASA Centennial Challenges: Personal Air Vehicle Challenge
The Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) Challenge is intended to promote the popular use of self-operated, personal aircraft for fast, safe, efficient, affordable, environmentally-friendly, and comfortable on-demand transportation as a future solution to America's mobility needs.
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NASA Senior Design Competition in Aerostructures Research
This new competition for undergraduate students at the junior-senior level calls for team proposals on research areas ranging from wing shape sensing to aeroservoelastic simulation development.
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Engineering Design Challenges
The Engineering Design Challenges Program connects students in their classrooms with the challenges faced by NASA engineers as they design the next generation of space vehicles, habitats, and technology.
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NASA-PARTNERED DESIGN CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
NASA believes in the value that hands-on engineering challenges provide to students. These contests offer undergraduate and graduate students tremendous opportunities to acquire practical engineering experiences, have a lot of fun, make new friends, and participate in exciting, competitive environments. NASA is proud to partner with these organizations in support of their student events.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Student Design Competition (SDC)
This general design competition requires collegiate-level student teams to design and build a device to accomplish a specific task, from a remotely-controlled vehicle that retrieves small rocks to a device that lobs 30 baseballs into three targets.
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American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
Students are challenged to build aerodynamic, highly engineered vehicles that run on human power. Vehicles may be for use on land, in the water, or the air.
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SAE International
The Aero Design Competition
This competition challenges collegiate engineering students to conceive, design, build, and test a radio-controlled aircraft that can take off and land while carrying the maximum cargo. ---- November 2006: Announcing the new NASA Systems Engineering Award. The NASA Systems Engineering Award is an optional component of the Aero Design competition. For more information on this award, click "Visit Site" and then click on either the Aero Design West or Aero Design East link. The NASA Award guidelines are located under the Competition Resources heading.
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OTHER DESIGN CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
These student competitions are managed by professional societies or other organizations outside of NASA.

American Helicopter Society (AHS)
AHS/Industry Annual Student Design Competition Award
AHS International, in cooperation with the major U.S. helicopter manufacturers, conducts an annual helicopter design competition to promote collegiate-level student interest in vertical flight.
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Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)
Team America Rocketry Challenge
This challenge, sponsored by the AIA and the National Association of Rocketry, engages students in Grades 7-12 team competitions to design, build, and fly a model rocket.
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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
Design/Build/Fly Competition
The Design/Build/Fly competition is one of the most popular annual competitions sponsored by the AIAA, which offers a number of design competitions that ask undergraduate and graduate students to solve real-world design problems, from new jet propulsion systems to designs for unmanned aerial vehicles.
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
DARPA Urban Challenge
The DARPA Urban Challenge is a prize competition that brings together teams to develop autonomous technology to keep warfighters off the battlefield and out of harm's way. The Urban Challenge features autonomous ground vehicles maneuvering in a mock city environment, executing simulated military supply missions while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles.
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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Airport Design Competition for Universities
This new competition engages undergraduate and graduate students at U.S. colleges in addressing a Technical Challenge related to today's airports, including airport operation and maintenance, runway safety/runway incursions, or airport environmental interactions.
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Editor: Karen Rugg
NASA Official: Tony Springer
Last Updated: September 9, 2008
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