Moon Base

Moon Base

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Moon Base

LEVEL: Middle School (MS)

DIVISION(S): Grades 6 and 7/8

COMPOSITION OF TEAM: 2-3 students per team

NUMBER OF TEAMS:

Preliminary – Determined by your local MESA center

Regional – # of teams per division at the discretion of each region

(Northern/Central, LA Metro/UC Santa Barbara, and Southern)

Subject | Subject

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Overview

In the future space agencies from many nations are planning to return to the moon with plans to establish permanent research stations. As is obvious from the many craters on the moon visible from the Earth, meteor strikes are a relatively common occurrence with devastating results. Your task is to design a structure to house

these new moon-based research activities with a safe zone for your astronaut. Students will design and construct an original structure using only recycled cardboard that can withstand the highest amount of impact, is lightweight, and meets the specific size requirements outlined below. Participation logistics, limits, and competition facilities may vary by host site. Advisors and students are responsible for verifying this information with their local MESA center. Students should take into consideration the transportation of projects; competition ready projects must be transported safely to the competition site.

Overview

An engineering lab book is a required component of this competition. The purpose of the Engineering Lab Book is for students to better understand the process an engineer goes through in the creation of a project. MESA projects are not designed to be completed in a single class period or day, but to be the result of thoughtful research, planning, analysis, and evaluation. Keeping a lab book throughout the design process will help to keep a designer on track, using a logical progression of planning, in order to develop their project efficiently.

Multiple Choice

How many team members can be in the project?

• 1-2

• 1-3

• 2-4

• 2-3

Materials

For the structure, the only allowable material is deconstructed, post-consumer, not plastic coated, unpainted cardboard without seams with up to a maximum 5mm thickness.

● No other materials are allowed

For the Engineering Lab Book, electronic submission will be required. Teams should use an electronic portal/application such as Google Docs to keep and maintain a lab book. Access and permission to the lab book must then be given to MESA Day staff and judges OR lab book is submitted electronically (e.g., PDF file,

WORD file) for review. Please check with your local MESA center for the deadline and submission platform to submit your team’s lab book for local and for regional events.

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The Host Center will provide the following during the competitions::

● Safety Goggles ● Step Stool

● Scale for weighing the structures ● Surface to protect the integrity of the fl oor (gym mats, yoga mats, etc.)​

● The Impact Testing Device for testing ● Paint (fi ngerpaint, glow-in-the-dark, etc.)

● A 12 ounce standard soda can (with height of 12.1 cm) for the Astronaut

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General Rules

1) The students’ full name, grade level, school name, and MESA center must be clearly labeled on the structure. A 10% penalty in the score will be assessed for failing to properly label.

2) Only recycled, deconstructed, post-consumer, not plastic coated, unpainted cardboard without seams with up to a maximum 5mm thickness can be used to create the structure (polymers, wood, metal, ceramics, etc. are not allowed). Students are NOT allowed to create glued connections or laminates on the existing cardboard; however, cardboard can be layered.

a. After the project has been tested, there will be a forensic inspection to ensure that there are no additional materials used on the internal structure and no individual piece of cardboard is thicker than 5mm.

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General Rules

3) All joints or connections must be created with allowed materials; no glue, tape, or other external adhesive of any type can be used in any way or form. Carved, mortise, and tenon, or other systems using exclusively cardboard are allowed.

4) The structure MUST fi t within the space defi ned by the following specifi cations. Note that the shapes and geometry of the Moon Base are up to the teams to determine as long as they meet the specifications (See Figure 1):

a. Maximum length = 55 cm

b. Maximum width = 55 cm

c. Maximum height = 25 cm

d. Minimum interior clearance = must fit a 20 cm radius half sphere in the center.

e. Maximum Structure Weight = 800 grams

General Rules

5) Structure must have two openings (doorways) of any shape with a MINIMUM dimension of 10 cm across and 10 cm in height that allow the “astronaut” to be seen by the audience and to allowthe inspection of the structure.

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6) The entire structure must NOT have a base/floor.

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7) No material (e.g., paint, varnish, hairspray, etc.) may be applied to the structure. Ink or pencil is allowed to identify students’ full name, grade level, school, and MESA center.

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8) Project must be the original work of the student. Judges may ask questions to confirm provenance.​

General Rules

9) Please remember that the purpose of this contest is to use creativity to build the best structure within the framework of the rules. The purpose is not to break the rules and see if you can get away with it.

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10) Digital media (e.g., photos, video recordings, etc.) will not be accepted for arbitration purposes.

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11) The lab book is meant to clearly demonstrate and illustrate evidence of the application of the Engineering Design Process in the MESA project.

Fig 1. Clearances and dimensional specifications for space to fit the structure. These diagrams are a representation to show the MINIMUM interior dimensions of structures for the safe zone and

MAXIMUM exterior dimensions of the Moon Base. Please note that the interior and exterior shape and placement of the openings/doors of the Moon Base is to be determined by teams within the minimum and maximum requirements.

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General Rules

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Multiple Choice

Is the engineering lab book required for this project?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

What is the minimum interior clearance?

• 15 cm

• 20 cm

• 25 cm

• 30 cm

Multiple Choice

What is the maximum weight the Moon Base can be?

• 500 g

• 600 g

• 700 g

• 800 g

Judging

1) Prior to load testing, the structure receives a specifi cation check to determine whether it conforms to the weight, dimension, and construction rules. See Figure 2 below for a sample internal measuring device.

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2) The competing structure is weighed and its mass “ms” recorded in grams.

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3) The structure will be centered under the impact testing device on a fl at and sound surface (see Attachment A for details). A “crash test dummy astronaut” (i.e., a 12 ounce standard soda can) with a height of 12.1 cm will be centered in the interior space. After each test, the Moon Base and astronaut need to be re-centered below the testing device.

Judging

4) A load with a mass “mI” (in grams) will impact the structure, starting at an elevation of 50 cm, measured from the fl at surface where both the structure and testing device are standing. After the impact, the judges will verify if the structure touched the astronaut body (i.e., the standard soda can). The hitch ball (see Attachment B: Testing Device Construction Materials), used as the load, will need to be weighed (“mI”) prior to testing.

a. The Host Center will provide a 12.1 cm tall “astronaut” made of a 12 ounce standard soda can. A drop of glow-in-the-dark paint will be placed on the top of the “astronaut's head” to see if the structure hit the astronaut.

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5) If the structure did not touch the astronaut, the height of the impact will be increased by increments of 25 cm up to 200 cm (i.e., 75 cm, 100 cm, 125 cm, 150 cm, 175 cm and 200 cm). The impact height “H” (in cm) is the highest measured impact height that still protects the astronaut; the highest measured impact height is recorded.

a. A structure that does not protect the astronaut at its initial impact height of 50 cm will be disqualified.

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6) Disqualified structures are not eligible for awards in any category. However, they may be tested in private, time permitting.

Scoring

1) The structures will be scored by their Impact-to-Mass Ratio, “I/M” calculated as:

I/M = mI g (H * 10-2) / ms

Where: mI is the mass of the hitch ball in grams; g is the gravity, 9.81 m/s2; H is highest impact elevation in centimeters; and ms is the mass of the competing structure in grams.

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2) A deduction of 20% of the team score will be assessed for an incomplete lab book and a deduction of 50% of the fi nal score will be assessed for a missing lab book.

Awards

● Awards will be given per division: Grade 6 and Grades 7/8 (MS).

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● Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place based on the best Impact-to-Mass Ratio.

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● Ribbons will be awarded for Creativity and Engineering Design.

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● Only teams that place in the Impact-to-Mass Ratio category will advance to Regional MESA Day; please check with your local MESA center to determine the number of teams that advance to Regional MESA Day.

Awards

● Awards will be given per division: Grade 6 and Grades 7/8 (MS).

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● Medals will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place based on the best Impact-to-Mass Ratio.

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● Ribbons will be awarded for Creativity and Engineering Design.

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● Only teams that place in the Impact-to-Mass Ratio category will advance to Regional MESA Day; please check with your local MESA center to determine the number of teams that advance to Regional MESA Day.

Poll

Are you considering choosing Moon Base as your project?

• Yes

• No