{"id":8862,"date":"2014-09-20T16:09:40","date_gmt":"2014-09-20T20:09:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8862"},"modified":"2014-09-20T16:09:40","modified_gmt":"2014-09-20T20:09:40","slug":"nasa-solve-aimed-at-citizen-scientists-opens-with-mars-balance-mass-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8862","title":{"rendered":"‘NASA Solve’, aimed at citizen scientists, opens with Mars Balance Mass Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA opens the\u00a0citizens science program NASA Solve<\/a>\u00a0:<\/p>\n

NASA Launches New Citizen Science Website;
\nOpens Challenge to Participate in Future Mars Missions<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

NASA announced Saturday the opening of registration for its Mars Balance Mass Challenge<\/a> and the launch of its new website, NASA Solve<\/a>, at the World Maker Faire<\/a> in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cNASA is committed to engaging the public, and specifically the maker community through innovative activities like the Mars Balance Mass Challenge,\u201d said NASA Chief Technologist David Miller. \u201cAnd NASA Solve is a great way for members of the public, makers and other citizen scientists to see all NASA challenges and prizes in one location.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mars Balance Mass Challenge seeks design ideas for small science and technology payloads that could potentially provide dual purpose as ejectable balance masses on spacecraft entering the Martian atmosphere.<\/p>\n

The payloads will serve two roles: perform scientific or technology functions that help us learn more about the Red Planet, and provide the necessary weight to balance planetary landers.<\/p>\n

Submissions are due by Nov. 21. A winner will be announced in mid-January 2015 and receive an award of $20,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to get involved in our journey to Mars,\u201d said Lisa May, lead program executive for NASA\u2019s Mars exploration program. \u201cThis challenge is a creative way to bring innovative ideas into our planning process, and perhaps help NASA find another way to pack more science and technology into a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

NASA Solve, which will host content for all agency challenges and prizes, features information on this new challenge at:\u00a0http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solve\/marsbalancechallenge<\/a><\/p>\n