Photo By Noe Gonzalez | Walla Walla District Intercom Mars Landing page 2021... read more read more
Students landed on Mars this year.
NASA recently took on the challenge of landing the Perseverance rover on Mars, a task also known as the “Seven Minutes of Terror” because it takes seven minutes for signals to reach the Earth from the red planet. The Walla Walla District Corps of Engineers had a different challenge – how to hold the annual Engineering Week (E-Week) challenge virtually?
Employees from the Walla Walla District came together to figure out how to hold the 2021 E-Week in the midst of a pandemic. Their mission was to find an activity that involved virtual participation from students, could be judged virtually and have a competitive edge.
“We can’t go into some of the schools, and some of the schools aren’t in session. Well, so what? We are engineers, we solve problems, so here we are solving a problem,” Hillary Smith, mechanical engineer for the Walla Walla District and coordinator of the 2021 E-Week challenge, said.
An idea sparked in Smith’s mind one night that related to NASA’s Mars rover named Perseverance. It involved building a lander that would deliver a spacecraft (plastic cup) and astronaut (ping pong ball) safely to the ground. The cup remaining in an upright position with the ping pong ball inside on and after impact was to be considered a successful landing.
This would be the challenge presented to students during 2021’s E-Week.
Corps volunteers supported the idea and created an equation that involved the calculation of the released height, material used, and design of the spacecraft landing. Students had to use their imagination to create a lander that would ultimately land their spacecraft safely from at least two feet or more.
Corps volunteers led a total of 40 to 50 students virtually during the competition. The students were in groups of two or three. Each group got in front of the camera and tested their lander. The teachers assisted the students and used meter sticks to record the height. All actions were displayed through a camera so that the Corps employees could verify the landing and calculate the students’ score.
“We have teams that do a lot of work and put a lot of effort into it. It’s all kind of on a volunteer level so I am really grateful,” Smith said.
Smith’s goal was to help stimulate students’ interest in STEM related fields.
“I hope they’ll gain an insight into how cool STEM careers can be and how much fun it can be to be a problem solver as a career... I just want to give kids that opportunity too because I think it’s really important to invest in our youth,” she said.
Winners were given a personal message from the District commander and a certificate of achievement.
The District looks forward in partnering with local schools, teachers, and parents for next year’s challenge.
| Date Taken: | 03.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.18.2022 16:50 |
| Story ID: | 412670 |
| Location: | WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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