Get your Moonbuggy revved up because it's NASA race time

William Atkins
Friday, 21 November 2008 04:16

Science - Space

To download the registration form, go to “NASA Great MoonBuggy Race." Use the website to also find out more information on the rules of the race and design factors for the moonbuggies.

High school teams will compete separately from the university teams, with the high schoolers competing on April 3, 2009, and the collegiates a day later on the fourth.

NASA announces that prizes will be awarded “to the three teams in each division that finish with the fastest race times. NASA and industry sponsors present additional awards for innovative buggy design, team spirit, best newcomer and other achievements.”

To see pictures and information about the “real” lunar rovers, go to the MSFC website “Real Rovers.”

As an author’s note: Just think, if NASA could get two teams from Ireland to participate, their buggies could be called “The Irish Rovers.”

Did that go over your head?

For those of you too young to see a connection, please visit http://www.irishrovers.info/index.htm, to  learn more about the Canadian-Irish folk group, The Irish Rovers, which was formed in the 1960s.

One of their best known hits was “The Unicorn.”

Ok, that was a bit of a stretch, joke-wise, with The Irish Rovers and building lunar-like rovers in H.S. shop class.