NASA Adds New Dimension to Future Flight Design Challenge

Jonas Dino
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-5612 or 604-9000
E-mail:


Feb. 25, 2005
RELEASE: 05_10AR


NASA Adds New Dimension to Future Flight Design Challenge

NASA is challenging middle school students to design the future of air
transportation, and NASA software will put them to the test.

NASA's Future Flight Design Challenge, developed at NASA Ames Research
Center, located in California's Silicon Valley, is designed to engage
students in developing solutions for tomorrow's overcrowded airports. To
help students develop their designs, NASA experts will provide feedback via
the Internet throughout the challenge. To strengthen the challenge's appeal,
NASA's Airspace Systems Program will use Airspace Concept Evaluation System
(ACES) software under development by NASA aeronautics experts to simulate
the winning designs.

"Adding the use of the ACES software to this project will add a new and
exciting dimension to the already successful NASA Quest challenge," said
Mark Leon, education director at NASA Ames. "For the first time, students
will be able to access the tools of a state-of-the-art software system,
currently unavailable to the public," he added.

ACES is a modeling and simulation tool under development by the Virtual
Airspace Simulation Technology element of the Virtual Airspace Modeling and
Simulation Project at NASA Ames. The tool is being developed in order to
evaluate the cost and benefits of new ideas in air traffic management across
the entire National Airspace System.

"Inspiring students is part of NASA's mission; therefore, we are striving to
involve young people in developing solutions for tomorrow's National
Airspace System," said Lisa Bjarke, a manager in the Virtual Airspace
Simulation Technologies element. "The ACES software will help us provide
that inspiration by bringing their ideas to life.

Students can now register for the challenge, which begins on March 7 and
ends with a Webcast on May 4, 2005. Last year, 26 teams representing more
than 800 students from 10 U.S. states, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, England
and Oman, participated in the design challenge.

To further improve the impact of Future Flight Design, the Ames Educational
Technology Team will collaborate with teachers to evaluate the site for
content, ease of use and student impact. During this formal evaluation,
teachers will incorporate Future Flight Design into their classrooms over a
six-week period and will provide feedback to the Web site's design team.

"The Ames Educational Technology Team is always looking to improve the
products we provide to the educational community," said Rebecca Sims,
evaluation coordinator for the team. "Soliciting the help of teachers will
provide the team with first-hand knowledge of how students interact with our
products that we can incorporate into updates of Future Flight Design."

Future Flight Design was co-funded by NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate education council at NASA headquarters in Washington and NASA's
Airspace Systems Program at NASA Ames, demonstrating NASA's commitment to
K-12 education.

The Ames Educational Technology Team produces a wide range of multimedia
educational materials for students, teachers, parents and other NASA
enthusiasts through the NASA Quest Web site. Educational products include
the aeronautics-themed 'Robin Whirlybird' and 'Virtual Skies'. NASA Quest is
an award-winning educational Web site that is a valuable resource for
educators across the United States and abroad.

For more information about the Future Flight Design Challenge and
participating in the formal evaluation of Future Flight Design, visit:

http://quest.nasa.gov/calendar

For more information about the Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation
Project and the Airspace Concept Evaluation System software, visit:

http://vams.arc.nasa.gov/activities/aces.html

For more information about NASA Quest, visit:

http://quest.nasa.gov

The Airspace Systems Program Web site can be accessed at:

http://as.nasa.gov


--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info