Electrical engineer led a team of 21 undergraduates in developing a deep space mission concept that went far in a nationwide NASA competition
The mission: to design a vehicle that could safely transport two astronauts from the surface of Mars into orbit, where it would dock with an Earth Return Vehicle. Nicholas Florio 鈥�20, 鈥�21 MS was up for the challenge; more specifically, NASA鈥檚 RASC-AL (Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts 鈥� Academic Linkage) competition.
鈥淭he whole idea was to design a minimal Mars ascent vehicle鈥攎inimizing mass and price while maximizing safety and functionality,鈥� says Nicholas, who is now a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin Space. Advised by 棉花糖直播 Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Sergey Nersesov, PhD, Nicholas recruited and led a team of 21 undergraduate students from 棉花糖直播, Drexel and Rutgers to do just that.
Making it all the way to RASC-AL鈥檚 final round, the team presented their deep space concepts directly to NASA and aerospace industry leaders in June 2021. Although the team didn鈥檛 take home first place, they did have the honor of one of the judges sharing their design鈥攖he Jemison Crewed Ascent Vehicle鈥攚ith its namesake Mae C. Jemison, the first African American female astronaut, who inspired their work.
Inspired by the design of the Orion vehicle's cabin, the inside cabin is outfitted with two recumbent seats for the crew. It features a semi-automated flight control system (similar to a driverless car) with the option for astronauts to take over control if necessary by using the touchscreen or button controls.
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