Texas Competition Themes

Microsoft Corporation, NASA, the Texas Business and Education Coalition and the State of Texas would like to invite you to participate in the bliink high school Web design competition. Learn how to use cutting-edge, professional software while competing against other Texas students to win cash and prizes!

Bliink is a competition that encourages students to think creatively while building technology skills and preparing for the workforce or college. Students work in teams to build Web sites using Microsoft Expression^® Web software.

NASA needs your help letting other teens know how all Americans benefit from space exploration, and about all of the exciting careers in this field. You can help unravel the mysteries of the universe!

Select either Mission 1 or Mission 2 for your competition entry. Be sure to include the words “Mission 1” or “Mission 2” in the title of your online Web site submission.

Mission 1: Design a Web Site for NASA!

Your design could be selected as an official NASA Web page!

Your Goal: Design introductory Web pages for the Student International Space Station Mission Control Training program. Inspire other students to reach for the stars by becoming certified flight controllers! (Detailed technical knowledge not required to participate in this design competition.)

The International Space Station (ISS) is a large, inhabited satellite that more than 15 nations are building in space; it will function as an observatory, laboratory, and workshop. The ISS orbits earth at an altitude of about 250 miles.

• Blast off by designing a Web page for each of the following bullet points:
  
  
  • Student ISS Mission Control Training (Homepage)
    Inspire students to learn more about NASA training opportunities for teens. Provide an overview of what the ground teams that support the ISS do and the training tracks.
    
    
  • Training Track 1: Basic ISS and NASA Training
    Motivate teens to begin with the basics of NASA training for working on ISS.
    
    
  • Training Track 2: Mission Control Center “THOR” Flight Controller Training
    Encourage students to train for the “THOR” position. Students will learn the skills for the “real-time” operation of the thermal control systems for the entire ISS.
    
    
  • Training Track 3: Mission Evaluation Room “ASTRO” Subsystem Specialist
    Train to be the engineer responsible for troubleshooting and preventing crisis situations with the ISS thermal control systems, with your skills in analysis and problem-solving.
    
    
  • Training Track 4: Payload Operations Integration “PRO” Subsystem Specialist
    Let students know they can excel by managing the thermal control of scientific payloads and experiments on ISS.
    

Learn more about Flight Controller roles and responsibilities here.

• Visit these sites for more information about the International Space Station.
  • NASA Home
  • Station Structure and Components
  • Boeing (ISS prime contractor)

Mission 2: Communicate How the International Space Station Benefits All People!

The ISS is a pioneering international venture between the United States and sixteen other nations; it has already produced amazing results in space travel, robotics, power systems, computer science, and dramatically expanded our knowledge of the universe we live in.

By working together on the most complex international engineering project in human history, sixteen nations have demonstrated how peaceful cooperation can result in amazing progress for all people. Students have a fantastic opportunity to explore exciting careers in space exploration and create a positive impact on the world.

Your Goal: Select one of the topics below to research and create a Web site to tell the world about it.

• The International Space Station is a center of innovation and advancement for the human race.
  
  Questions to explore:
  • How has life on earth been improved by the amazing discoveries or inventions from NASA?
  • What research at NASA led to the development of modern technological wonders?
  • How might the current technology on the ISS be employed to impact our lives even more?
  • What new experiments would you like to see on the ISS that could lead to future innovations?
  • How could the ISS best be used as a test bed for future deep-space exploration?
  
  Visit these sites to learn more:
  • “Spinoffs” or technologies adapted from space applications
  • Science Experiments and Payloads



• The International Space Station is a model for international relations and partnerships.
  “The strong working relationship among the international partners is perhaps the most important outcome of the ISS program.”
  Questions to explore:
  • How could the ISS International Partnership be used as a model for building international teams to address serious global issues?
  • What global challenge would you like to help solve? Why is the issue you chose important to you? What are the few goals you would like to propose for this effort?
  • How would you organize an international collaboration? Who should be included? How would the team function? How would you convince others that this is a worthwhile effort?
  • What role would you like to play on the team? What are your strongest skills?



• The International Space Station needs you! There’s a career for every interest, talent, and passion on the ISS.
  NASA employs people from all walks of life. Not only are there astronauts, engineers, mathematicians, space suit designers, astronomers, biologists, and computer scientists, but also accountants, historians, writers, tech support teams, project managers, artists, educators, public relations managers, medical specialists, lawyers -- and more.
  
  Learn more about exciting NASA careers
  
  Questions to explore:
  • What role or career on the ISS sounds exciting and rewarding to you?
  • What do individuals in this field of work do? Describe your life as this professional.
  • How does this career fit with your values and goals? How could you start preparing now?
  • If you were in this role, what career goal would you set? What would you want to accomplish?
  • Make plans for a career on the ISS: What would you study? Where would you like to study?

Flight Controller Descriptions (For Mission 1)

The astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) depend upon the talents of many people to successfully operate the ISS. Two teams of Flight Controllers have very specific responsibilities. The International Space Station (ISS) Flight Control Team (FCT) is located in Mission Control Center-Houston (MCC-H) in Houston, Texas. The Payload Operations & Integration Center (POIC) is stationed in Huntsville, Alabama.

The people on these teams review data on how the ISS hardware is operating, send commands to operate the hardware, evaluate what went wrong when something breaks, and correct problems. They are the folks you see on TV and in the movies who are sitting behind all the consoles, looking at data, and saying things like “We’re GO for launch, Flight.”

Each Flight Controller is an expert in a specific system on the ISS. They may be experts in life support, navigation, computers, communications, or other fields. Some Flight Controllers work in the “front room”, the main control room you see on TV. The front-room Flight Controllers work together to coordinate the operations of their individual systems and to accomplish specific missions or tasks. Supporting the “front room” Flight Controllers are the “back room” Flight Controllers who are monitoring the performance of the individual systems in fine detail. The backroom controller would serve as a consultant for the detailed analysis and troubleshooting of a system when something in their systems has malfunctioned.

The Flight Controllers on the Thermal Control System are experts who are responsible for the space station’s heating and cooling system. It is critical to the safety of the astronauts and success of ISS scientific missions.

Three types of controllers are responsible for keeping the Thermal Control System running smoothly.

• THOR (Thermal Operations and Resources)
  The THOR Flight Controller is the “front room” Flight Controller in MCC-H who operates and monitors the Thermal Control System on ISS. Experiments, equipment, and crewmembers inside the ISS modules all generate heat that must be removed from the system. Outside the modules, experiments and equipment must be protected from the extreme cold and heat of the space environment of low Earth orbit. It is the responsibility of THOR to operate and monitor this system and make sure it maintains a safe environment for the crew and equipment.
  
  
• ASTRO
  The ASTRO position is also located at MCC-H in a “back room” known as the Mission Evaluation Room. ASTRO provides engineering support to THOR by monitoring the Thermal Control Systems performance in very fine detail. They will also assist THOR in any troubleshooting if a malfunction occurs. ASTRO would lead the detailed analysis of thermal control system performance, and if need be, consult with the engineers and technicians who actually built the systems and its components to further help resolve problems or failures.
  
  
• PRO (Payload Resource Officer)
  PRO is the Thermal Control System specialist at the POIC in Huntsville. The PRO’s job focuses on operating and monitoring the parts of the thermal control system that keep the individual experiments or payloads, and the facilities that house them at a safe temperature. PRO works in coordination with the THOR to ensure that the overall thermal control system keeps the experiments from getting too hot or too cold.

• Required Knowledge of Thermal Control System Controllers:
  • Principles of thermal physics
  • Operations of thermal control computer hardware and software
  • Functions of mechanical components of the system
  • Technical analysis of data received from the system

• Critical Skills of Thermal Control System Controllers:
  
  In addition to the technical knowledge required for a specific system, all Flight Controllers must have these additional skills:
  
  
  • Communicate Precisely: Oral and written communication skills are vital. Flight Controllers must be able to communicate complex technical information in a clear and concise manner in such a way that a person who is not a specialist in a particular system can understand and react to the information.
  
  
  
  • Interpret and Analyze Information: The ability to interpret and apply huge quantities of data from the system and relate these data to the operation of other systems on ISS is critical. The data available for a system may be presented digitally, graphically or even in the form of comments from the Astronauts onboard. Flight Controllers must be able to process and relate all of these data in context with other events occurring on and with the station to other teams.
  
  
  
  • Work as a Team Member: The ability to work as a team member as well as perform as a team leader is essential. Working in Mission Control is a team activity. While each Flight Controller is a leader and an expert in their field of expertise, they must work together as a team to operate the ISS as a whole. A problem for THOR’s system may require support from the Flight Controller responsible for the onboard computer system or the communications system. Being able to understand and effectively use all of the resources available to you provided by your fellow Flight Controller team members is crucial.
  
  
  
  • Solve Problems: Troubleshooting a system that is not operating properly requires analytical thinking about complex and dynamic situations. If the situation is changing with time, “dynamic thinking” is required. The Flight Controller must draw conclusions about the cause of a problem based on all of the data available, even if the data is rapidly changing or is incomplete.
  
  
  
  • Take Decisive Action: The ability to make a decision and act is crucial. For Mission Control Flight Controllers it is not enough simply to simply analyze a situation and a draw conclusion as an academic exercise. Once a conclusion has been drawn, it must be communicated to the Flight Director along with a plan of action for correcting any problem. Corrective action must be executed correctly and at precisely the right time.
  
  
  
  • Remain Calm and Controlled: At times, particularly in situations where major system components are not functioning properly, Flight Controllers must perform all of their tasks rapidly and correctly. The ability to work under intense pressure is vital to saving a one-of-a-kind experiment, avoiding permanent damage to space station hardware, or in extreme cases, preventing injury or death to the flight crew.

*No purchase necessary. Open only to students currently enrolled in a participating school district or program. Cash prizes will be paid in the form of a Visa gift card.
See full rules for details.
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