“Moon RIDERS: 2016 Hawaii High Schools’ Experiment on the Surface of the Moon,” which includes the work of a Big Island school’s team, will be the subject of ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s next Maunakea Skies program at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Moon RIDERS: 2016 Hawaii High Schools’ Experiment on the Surface of the Moon,” which includes the work of a Big Island school’s team, will be the subject of ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center’s next Maunakea Skies program at 7 p.m. Friday.
Join Rob Kelso, executive director at the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, as he introduces the Moon RIDERS Hawaii robotics teams’ work on the electrodynamic dust shield lunar project and the partnership with PISCES, NASA and Google Lunar Xprize.
In the past two years PISCES and the Kennedy Space Center have been working on a lunar surface flight experiment leveraging transportation through the Google Lunar X-Prize. This joint flight test project for a lunar surface flight experiment is called Moon RIDERS (Research Investigating Dust Expulsion Removal Systems).
Two Hawaii high schools, Kealakehe High School in Kona and ‘Iolani School from Honolulu, recently were selected for participation in this joint project.
“The Google Lunar X-PRIZE is designed to inspire pioneers to do robotic space transport on a budget,” Kelso said.
“In turn the Moon RIDERS project seeks to inspire this generation of Hawaii high school students in a first-ever student-participation involving a lunar surface experiment project with emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).”
Kelso has served 37 years at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, formerly holding a position as the NASA shuttle flight director at the famed Mission Control Center.
The Maunakea Skies program is hosted by ‘Imiloa planetarium staff member Cam Wipper. He will provide observational highlights of the night sky over Hawaii.
The monthly Maunakea Skies planetarium presentations are held on the third Friday of each month. Cost is $8 for individual, dual, kupuna and family members; $6 for patron members; free for silver, gold and corporate members; $10 for nonmembers. Pre-purchase tickets at the ‘Imiloa front desk or by phone at 969-9703.
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center is at 600 ‘Imiloa Place at the UH-Hilo Science and Technology Park. For more information, visit www.imiloahawaii.org.