Adorning
the entranceway to the U.S.
Destiny Laboratory in the International Space
Station are two pennants: one for the Army and one that reads "Go
Navy, Beat Army."
They are
not the first pennants to fly in space: hundreds of flags and banners championing
colleges, societies and even sports teams have been carried to orbit by the space shuttle. Now, NASA wants a pennant of its own and is
turning to grade school students to design it [image].
In
partnership with Mad Science and AOL's Kids Service KOL, NASA is hosting a
contest for 6- to 12-year-olds to create pennants that celebrate either of two
themes: the upcoming STS-118
shuttle mission including the flight of the first
educator astronaut Barbara Morgan or the Vision for
Space Exploration, NASA's plans to send humans to the Moon, Mars
and beyond.
The winning
design will fly with Morgan on-board shuttle
Endeavour when she launches this summer. The winner will be awarded a trip
to the STS-118 launch with his/her parent or guardian, while runner-ups will
receive a signed picture of the STS-118 shuttle crew and an online NASA game will
use their pennant design.
A Space
Day, featuring a NASA speaker, will be held at the finalists' schools, which
will also receive educational resources, including seeds that have
flown in space. All student designers will receive certificates of
participation.
According
to NASA, students need more than a creative design for their pennants. They
must research their topic, apply what they learn, and write an explanation of
their design and how the pennant incorporates their knowledge about STS-118 or
the Vision for Space Exploration.
Entries may
be submitted online or through the mail but must be received by Tuesday, April
10. Ten semifinalists will be chosen in three age groups: 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12.
Judges from NASA, KOL and Mad Science will then select two finalists from each
group. On May 3, those six finalists will be announced, and one overall winner
will be selected through online voting.
Space
shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission
is the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It will continue
space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment.
Currently targeted for July, the mission's crew includes Barbara Morgan, the
former back up to Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe and the first educator
mission specialist.
Announced by
President Bush on January 14, 2004, the Vision for Space Exploration
directs NASA to complete assembly of the International Space Station and then
to refocus on sending astronauts beyond low Earth orbit to the Moon and
eventually to Mars. To accomplish this, a new crew exploration
vehicle, Orion is planned to replace the space shuttle after its retirement
in 2010.
For more
details about NASA's pennant design challenge visit the website for AOL's
KOL Expeditions.
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