Puerto Rico Takes Top Spots at 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge

	April 03, 2017  RELEASE 17-023 Puerto Rico Takes Top Spots at 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge   A team from Ramon Quinones Medina High School of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, took first place in the high-school division of the 2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Charles Beason   The University of Puerto Rico at Humacao Team 1 won the college/university division of the 2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge. Credits: NASA/MSFC/Emmett Given NASA has announced the winners of the 2017 Human Exploration Rover Challenge, held March 31 to April 1 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Ramon Quinones Medina High School of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, won first place in the high school division, with a time of 4 minutes, 12 seconds. The University of Puerto Rico at Humacao Team 1 won the college/university division with a time of 4 minutes, 21 seconds. Both teams had the fastest race times in their divisions, with the fewest on-course penalties. The event requires student teams to design, build, test and race human-powered rovers, driven by one male and one female. The obstacles throughout the nearly three-quarter-mile course simulate terrain found on Mars, as well as other planets, moons and asteroids throughout the solar system. This year's race had a new, optional feature called the "Drive Train Technology Challenge." Teams developed reliable systems such as belts, drive shafts or direct drives to replace commonly used chains. Nearly 100 high school and college teams took part in the competition, coming from 23 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as several different countries, including Brazil, Germany, India and Mexico. Rover Challenge highlights NASA’s goals for future exploration to Mars and beyond. Inspired by the lunar roving vehicles of the Apollo moon missions, the competition challenges students to solve engineering problems, while highlighting NASA's commitment to inspiring new generations of scientists, engineers and explorers. It is hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and is managed by Marshall's Academic Affairs Office.  For more information on Rover Challenge, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/home/index.html Replays of the race are available on the Marshall Ustream site: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc The complete list of award winners is provided below. 2017 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge Awards High School Division First Place: Ramon Quinones Medina High School of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, with a time of 4 minutes, 12 seconds Second Place: Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology of Reno, Nevada, with a time of 5 minutes, 9 seconds Third Place: Teodoro Aguilar Mora of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, with a time of 6 minutes, 20 seconds College/University Division First Place: University of Puerto Rico at Humacao Team 1, with a time of 4 minutes, 21 seconds Second Place: Rhode Island School of Design of Providence, with a time of 6 minutes, 45 seconds Third Place: University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, with a time of 7 minutes, 14 seconds "On to Mars" Sample Return Challenge Award High School Division: Virginia City High School of Virginia City, Nevada University Division: Purdue University Northwest Team 1 of Hammond, Indiana Neil Armstrong Best Design Award  High School Division: Parish Episcopal Team 1 of Dallas University Division: University of Colorado Denver Technology Challenge Award  Rhode Island School of Design Drive Train Technology Challenge Award Middle Tennessee State University Team 1 of Murfreesboro Featherweight Award  High School Division: Ramon Quinones Medina High School University Division: University of Puerto Rico at Humacao Team 1 The Telemetry/Electronics Award Pittsburg State University Team 1 of Pittsburg, Kansas Crash and Burn Award  Drexel University Team 2 of Philadelphia Frank Joe Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award  High School Division: Colegio Santa Terezinha of Brazil University Division: Tech de Monterrey Cuernavaca of Mexico Team Spirit Award   Purdue University Northwest Team 1 Rookie of the Year Award High School Division: Ramon Quinones Medina High School University Division: University of Colorado Denver Jesco von Puttkamer International Team Award  High School Division: Colegio Santa Terezinha University Division: Tech de Monterrey Cuernavaca Best Report Award  Parish Episcopal Team 1 Most Improved Award High School Division: Huntsville Center for Technology of Huntsville, Alabama University Division: University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez The System Safety Award High School Division: Pana High School of Pana, Illinois University Division: Middle Tennessee State University Team 1
	Press Contacts Angela Storey Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 angela.d.storey@xxxxxxxx
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