Unbelievable worldwide press reactions / Imágenes del día

EUROPE:
epa 02098497
http://www.fotoglif.com/f/sgu2o05m9qb8

Pupils Stephanie Fleischer and Stefan Martini ride their 'Moonbuggy' in Leipzig, Germany, 30 March 2010. Both form part of a team of pupils that competes in a NASA Moonbuggy Race on 08 April in the United States. The NASA competition demands to build a muscle-powered vehicle according to exact specifications like size and weight. The vehicle has to prove its competence on a demanding course. Over the last three years, 13- to 19-year-old pupils of Leipzig's International Space Education Institute (SEI) earned ten NASA Awards at the races and lead the constructors' championship.

Photo: JAN WOITAS EPA/JAN WOITAS
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SPAIN/LATINO:
Las Palmas, Canary Islands
http://www.canarias7.es/multimedia/galeria.cfm?id=3842&n=6

Zaragossa
http://www.sonorama.com.ec/sistema/imagenes/imagenes.php?id=351

VENEZUELA: Carracas, El Clarin
http://www.elclarin.net.ve/fotosdia.html

Los estudiantes Stephanie Fleischer y Stefan Martini montan en su
"moonboggy" en Leipzig (Alemania). Ambos forman parte de un equipo de
alumnos que competirá en una carrera de "moonbuggy" de la NASA el próximo 8
de abril en Estados Unidos. La prueba de la NASA requiere construir un
vehículo propulsado por el hombre con unas especificaciones concretas de
tamaño y peso. El vehículo va a probar su competencia en un circuito
exigente. Durante los últimos tres años, alumnos de entre 13 y 19 años del
Instituto de Educación Espacial Internacional de Leipzig han ganado premios
de la NASA en carreras y lideran el campeonato de constructores.
Foto: EFE

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Korea: Daum
http://photo.media.daum.net/foreign/view.html?cateid=1007&newsid=20100330211206576&p=yonhap

My first test drive

written by Stephanie Fleischer, translated by Regina Peldszus
Moonbuggy Team Germany/Russia 2010
www.spaceeducation.eu

Leipzig, March 20, 2010

After a four hour journey and full of anticipation, I arrive in Leipzig with my friend Stefan who I've known for many years. He once told be about a Moonbuggy Race for which they were developing a "Moon Vehicle" to stand the test in a competition. At the time I thought that was all very interesting but you'd need to be good at physics and that it would be difficult to get into the field. Until my friend asked me whether I was up for taking part in such a race. Since then I've been hooked.

This is why I'm in Leipzig now, looking for project director Ralf Heckel. At the institute we found out that he's in the workshop with the apprentices, tinkering avidly on the Moonbuggy. When we get to the workshop it's indeed packed and work on the Moonbuggy is in full swing, although it's Friday and close to 8pm. Stefan mills another reinforcing truss for the frame of the rear seat. "Milling", that's a term I've never really had to incorporate in my vocabulary so far. Suddenly he takes my hand and guides me to that monstrous mill where he's supposed to work on the rod. After a small presentation and induction I'm allowed to have a go and mill a part for our vehicle. Actually it's not hard at all. I'd never thought I'd ever operate a machine that big.

Afterward it's off to the big parking lot where I test-drive the Moonbuggy for the first time. First I have to get used to the fact that I have to totally rely on my front-seat driver, who literally controls all buttons and levers. I can't intervene if I evaluate a situation differently than he does. So I'm full of adrenalin sitting there in the back seat of the Moonbuggy and my legs shake when I get off. It's like the tandem was re-invented. Afterwards I'm back at the workshop and check out the machinery, which leaves me in awe. Ralf is the next person to take me around and show me the next green machine with a big drill. It's a lathe. Again, after a small briefing, I'm allowed to show my newly acquired skills. I drill a big hole in a piece of aluminum, turn phases and engrail the surface. I don't even have a boilersuit like all the others, but I'm proud of the finished part that is spit out by the machine, steaming.



After all these new impressions on that first evening, I was off to bed and crashed.

Photo gallery
working: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/sets/72157623659344100/
training: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/sets/72157623532378909/
city tour: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spaceeducation/sets/72157623659323832/

Countdown 2010 - Just 4 Weeks Left

written by Ralf Heckel
translated by Regina Peldszus

http://www.nasa-moonbuggy.eu/

See our blog at: http://www.spaceeducation.de/en/online-news.html

The NASA Moonbuggy Race demands utmost commitment of its participants. 11 months after the last event we're in final preparations again. There are only 4 weeks left until the race, and our plane takes off in three.

After experiencing 4 Moonbuggy-Races and taking part myself three times successfully, I would have thought there'd finally be a routine. But far off. Again we're under pressure to get everything done on time, and it affects us as teamleaders more than the other members of the team. There are no Easter vacations, and therefore no time for unforeseen events. Despite all this, many things are different this particular year, and that's why I want to offer some insights and encourage people to participate.

The original Team Germany of the last years does not exist anymore. Most of them have graduated from highschool last year and are now all over the world, also thanks to the unique references of the Moon Buggy Race. Nadine is studying, Vanessa is doing work experience in the US, Lisa is in New Zealand, Thommy is doing compulsory army service, and the others mostly went straight into engineering degrees. Therefore we have been focusing on promoting the Moonbuggy Race and Space Education throughout 2009. The German Moonbuggy was on the road in 8 European countries over 10,000 km (6200 miles). We even built a bespoke trailer which delivered everything you need on such trips, including solar power. Our core task was to raise awareness in Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, Hungaria and Russia.

Hence we took the Buggy to the marinas on Crimea, to the piers in Rostock, to Budapest, Bucarest, Munich, to Dresden's Frauenkirche and to Prague. There was a lot of interest and astonishment everywhere. However, only a few students and schools are really prepared to accept the challenges that are associated with it. We did 120 workshops and events with and for students. We invited Russian space students to Moonbuggy workshops in Germany and gave countless talks at schools.

We were especially delighted to cooperate with the Chamber of Trade, Leipzig, and their vocational education centre. It is there where the Moonbuggy really begins to feature as an object of orientation for a technical vocation. Many apprentices lend their hand to work on the Moonbuggy.

As a result, our Moonbuggy is now entirely modeled in CAD and, with a prototype series of five slightly different types, we have a proper fleet that serves test and training purposes.

In the past few years there was no winter and spring. The only important topic for the first 3 months of the year was – the Moonbuggy. That required the team leader and most of the students to put in 18-20hrs a day.

It's a bit different today. Of course we're still very busy, but we manage to call it a day on time and make time for family and others every now and then. The students are more independent, and there are more of them. It's not just individual esponsibilities any more, but more delegation of different tasks throughout the team. The cold days of the winter are spent in the warm workshops of the technology centre of the Chamber of Trade to work on the Buggy.

However, traveling to the competition is still an open book. There is no knowing whether it'll work out. There are two new hurdles to take. These are different luggage regulations and the selection of the racers. We need to raise 100 Euro more in fees for luggage for each suitcase. Last year, each passenger was permitted to bring two pieces of baggage for free – today the second suitcase is charged at 100 Euro. The third suitcase is 400 Euro already. The Moonbuggy fits into 7 suitcases – but we're only 4-5 passengers. So far, we've always beenable to fit everything, including our personal items, into 12 suitcases. Now we can only use 4-5. So we'll have to pay dearly.

The selection of racers and the Huntsville-bound team has become more complicated. The old hands have left high school and the universities have little time for the Moonbuggy. The Masters degrees require a lot of commitment from the students. The youngsters, however, have a lot of respect for the race. Most of them don't feel ready for it yet, or aren't able to fund or raise the high travel costs. German schools don't sponsor the programme financially. It is even more difficult to find a female racer. One of our candidates is in an important different competition, the other one is abroad on student exchange, the last one had a skiing accident. Another possible driver is so young that her parents would have to chaperone her on the trip – but cannot afford the ticket. If the problems of the past years were of practical nature, we're now at a stage where we can only find solutions with experience and good management. The actual construction of the Moonbuggy, however, is more of a routine now.

This weekend, Thommy and Stefan want to get the Moonbuggy ready for a test drive. A new girl will be the test-driver. A lot of sports cyclists are already interested in this, and are keen to participate in the workshops – as soon as there is time.

Will the Moonbuggy and its many new refinements in stability and weight reduction be ready in time? Will the new test driver (she's only 13) meet the requirements?

You will find out by April 3rd 2010, our planned date of departure!

See our blog at: http://www.spaceeducation.de/en/online-news.html