Students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) win an award at the NASA 2017 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts -- Academic Linkages (RASC-AL) competition. From left: Lee Juseong, Ko Jaeyoul, Choi Sukmin, Suh Jongeun and Lee Eunkwang. (KAIST)
By Kim Young Shin
Students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) won the Best in Theme Award at NASA’s 2017 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts -- Academic Linkages (RASC-AL) competition, in which university students and their advisors develop spacecraft concepts and technologies to enhance NASA missions.
For the competition, five graduate students from KAIST’s aerospace engineering department established a joint team with students from Texas Tech University and from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
The joint team won the first position in the Logistics Delivery System category. The Korean students took care of spacecraft design and delivery plans. For eight months, the students worked with other teammates to develop a system that had the flexibility to handle sudden incidents during a long-term mission on the moon and that was cost effective for delivery.
“I believe the students won the competition thanks to an education that focuses on systems and design,” said Professor Ahn Jaemyung, one of the students' advisors. “KAIST will provide a quality education and diverse opportunities by establishing international cooperation programs so as to design a better educational environment.”