AIAA Foundation Announces Winners of its 2016-2017 Undergraduate Team Space Transportation Design Competition Written 18 October 2017

October 18, 2017 – Reston, Va. –The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of its 2016–2017 Undergraduate Team Space Transportation Design Competition.

The 2016–2017 contest asked competing teams to propose a space exploration mission beyond Earth and lunar orbits utilizing the large payload capability of the NASA Space Launch System.

The winners are:

• First Prize: California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Pomona, California, for their design “Project Haukadalur.” Team members: Joshua Stokes, Miguel Lopez, Ian Bello, Nathan Wong, Alfredo Munoz, Esthela Rivera, James Bean, Antonio Flores. Donald Edberg, faculty advisor.


• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, for their design "Hathor Excavator.” Team members: Alexandra Wyatt, Robert Groome, Christian Young, Rhodes Lacy, Jennifer Bergeson, Morgan Pietruch, Jonathan Bensman, Caroline Kren, Nicki Liu. Li Qiao, faculty advisor.


• Third Prize: California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Pomona, California, for their design "Exploration of the Geysers of Triton." Team members: Philip Cowart, Chris Janda, Christian Brannon, Daniel Lee, Kyle Braggs, Loris Mousessian, Garrett Gordon. Donald Edberg, faculty advisor.

For more information about the AIAA Foundation Undergraduate Team Space Transportation Design Competition, please contact Rachel Dowdy at racheld@aiaa.org or 703.264.7577.

About the AIAA Foundation
The AIAA Foundation seeks to “make it exciting, make it empowering, and make it fun.” That simple, compelling philosophy drives the Foundation’s commitment to math, science, and technology education. The AIAA Foundation offers a wealth of resources to support educators from K–12 through university: scholarships, classroom grants, design competitions, and student conferences, improving scientific literacy and advancing the arts and sciences of aerospace. For more information on the AIAA Foundation and its programs for students, teachers, and professionals, please visit www.aiaafoundation.org.