{"id":642656,"date":"2024-04-08T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T16:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=642656"},"modified":"2024-04-08T12:26:05","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T16:26:05","slug":"nasa-names-finalists-of-the-power-to-explore-challenge-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/rps\/nasa-names-finalists-of-the-power-to-explore-challenge-2\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Names Finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-article-hero-header nasa-gb-align-full bg-carbon-90 width-full maxw-full color-mode-dark hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-article-hero-header\">\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper width-full maxw-full minh-tablet grid-container minh-tablet flex-column padding-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-foreground-wrapper display-flex flex-direction-column\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block margin-top-auto width-full maxw-desktop-lg padding-y-9 padding-x-3 desktop:padding-x-0 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"z-400 grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-7 z-400\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label color-spacesuit-white margin-bottom-2\">3 Min Read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"heading-41 line-height-md color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA Names Finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"skrim-overlay skrim-left mobile-skrim-top z-200\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?w=1536\" class=\"attachment-1536x1536 size-1536x1536\" alt=\"The 2024 Power to Explore logo celebrates the total eclipse with an illustration of the Sun disappearing behind an atomic symbol.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"padding-y-3 padding-x-3\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block padding-x-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"hds-caption maxw-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0 color-carbon-30\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><figcaption>A word cloud generated from student essay entries.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-credits color-spacesuit-white-important\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Credits: <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>NASA\/Dave Lam<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NASA has selected the nine finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge, a national competition for K-12 students featuring the enabling power of radioisotopes.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA selected nine finalists out of the 45 semifinalist student essays in the Power to Explore Challenge, a national competition for K-12 students featuring the enabling power of radioisotopes. Contestants were challenged to explore how NASA has powered some of its most famous science missions and to dream up how their personal \u201csuper power\u201d would energize their success on their own radioisotope-powered science mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The competition asked students to learn about NASA\u2019s Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS), a type of \u201cnuclear battery\u201d that the agency uses to explore some of the most extreme destinations in our solar system and beyond. As cities across the United States experience a total solar eclipse, we experience first hand a momentary glimpse into what life would be like without sunlight. This draws attention to how NASA can power missions at destinations that cannot rely on the energy of the Sun, such as deep craters on the Moon and deep space exploration. In 250 words or less, students wrote about a mission of their own enabled by these space power systems and described their own power to achieve their mission goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Power to Explore Challenge offered students the opportunity to learn more about these reliable power systems, celebrate their own strengths, and interact with NASA\u2019s diverse workforce. This year\u2019s contest received 1,787 submitted entries from 48 states and Puerto Rico.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-center padding-y-3 maxw-full width-full display-flex flex-align-center hds-module wp-block-nasa-blocks-blockquote\"><div class=\"grid-container grid-container-block display-flex flex-column flex-justify-center padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:display-flex mobile:display-block\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blockquote-icon margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"tablet:square-4 square-4 margin-right-3\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 3000 3000\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 3000 3000;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"> <g> <path d=\"M586.7,1429.7c-10.7,1.5-21.4,2.8-33.9,4.5c6.9-26.6,12.7-50.7,19.5-74.6c32.4-114.1,78.5-222.2,146.8-319.5 c90.2-128.5,202.5-235.3,327.7-329.1c8.4-6.3,16.7-12.6,25.3-19.1c-66.3-105.1-131.5-208.6-197.3-313.1c-3.5,1.2-5.5,1.6-7.2,2.6 C714.4,469,576.1,575.7,456,705.3c-126,135.9-226.2,289.1-303,457.8c-98.8,217.1-151.3,444-147.2,683.3 c1.7,100.5,12.9,199.6,41.1,296.3C93.7,2303,182.2,2433,326.7,2520.1c176.9,106.7,366.8,126.8,563.4,70.5 c150.9-43.2,260.9-138.9,327.2-282.5c33.4-72.5,47.8-149.4,52-228.7c6.5-122.8-14.1-239.5-74.3-348.1 C1074.6,1514.5,832.7,1394.2,586.7,1429.7z\"><\/path><path d=\"M2912.5,1722c-129.9-210.9-320.2-309.4-567.9-296c-22.1,1.2-44,5.1-67.4,7.9c2.2-9.6,4-17.9,6.1-26.2 c37.9-153.6,99.3-296,198.8-420.5c77.8-97.4,167.1-182.9,265.8-258.8c15.6-12,31.3-23.9,47.9-36.5 c-66.2-105.1-131.9-209.2-197.2-312.8c-3.5,1.1-5.1,1.2-6.4,2c-167.2,95.6-316.1,213.7-443.2,358.8 c-105.1,119.9-191.1,252.3-259.5,396.3c-95.5,201-152.1,411.6-159.1,634.8c-3.9,125.5,4.8,249.7,40.1,371 c46.7,160.8,135.7,290.9,280.5,378.7c165.7,100.5,344.8,123,531.2,78.8c172.4-40.8,296.4-143.9,366.3-308.5 c28.5-67.2,40.6-138,44.6-210.5C3000.2,1953.3,2979.9,1831.4,2912.5,1722z\"><\/path><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"blockquote-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"font-weight-extralight line-height-sm margin-top-0 section-heading-sm\"><span class=\"section-heading-sm\">"The RPS Program is so impressed by the ideas and quality of writing that come forth from essays submitted to NASA\u2019s Power to Explore Challenge<\/span><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"blockquote-image hds-cover-wrapper margin-right-3\"><figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/power-to-explore-logo.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Carl Sandifer\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/power-to-explore-logo.jpg?resize=150,150 150w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/power-to-explore-logo.jpg?resize=50,50 50w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/power-to-explore-logo.jpg?resize=100,100 100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/power-to-explore-logo.jpg?resize=200,200 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-11\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"blockquote-credit-name line-height-sm margin-0\">Carl Sandifer<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"blockquote-credit-title line-height-sm padding-0 margin-0\">Manager, Radioisotope Power Systems Program<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>“The RPS Program is so impressed by the ideas and quality of writing that come forth from essays submitted to NASA\u2019s Power to Explore Challenge,” said Carl Sandifer, NASA’s manager for the Radioisotope Power Systems Program in Cleveland. “We would like to congratulate the finalists, and we look forward to welcoming the winners to NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center this summer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Entries were split into three categories: grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Every student who submitted an entry received a digital certificate and an invitation to the Power Up virtual event that announced the semifinalists. Students learned about what powers the NASA workforce to dream big and work together to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three national finalists in each grade category (nine finalists total) have been selected. In addition to receiving a NASA RPS prize pack, these participants will be invited to an exclusive virtual meeting with a NASA engineer or scientist to talk about their missions and have their space exploration questions answered. Winners will be announced on April 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Grades K-4<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Katerine Leon, Long Beach, CA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rainie Lin, Lexington, KY<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Zachary Tolchin, Guilford, CT<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Grades 5-8<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Aadya Karthik, Redmond, WA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Andrew Tavares, Bridgewater, MA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sara Wang, Henderson, NV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Grades 9-12<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Thomas Liu, Ridgewood, NJ<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Madeline Male, Fairway, KS<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kailey Thomas, Las Vegas, NV<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Challenge<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The challenge is funded by the Radioisotope Power Systems Program Office in NASA\u2019s Science Mission Directorate and administered by Future Engineers under the NASA Open Innovation Services 2 contract. This contract is managed by the NASA Tournament Lab, a part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program in NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Kristin Jansen<br>NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center<\/em><\/strong><strong><em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NASA has selected the nine finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge, a national competition for K-12 students featuring the enabling power of radioisotopes. NASA selected nine finalists out of the 45 semifinalist student essays in the Power to Explore Challenge, a national competition for K-12 students featuring the enabling power of radioisotopes. Contestants were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":368,"featured_media":632836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"569683","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":["569683"],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"570514","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":["283574"],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[13162,2856,2665,3298,2847,2661,2658,2659],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[13068,13112],"coauthors":[13067],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Names Finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/rps\/nasa-names-finalists-of-the-power-to-explore-challenge-2\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/rps\/nasa-names-finalists-of-the-power-to-explore-challenge-2\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg"},"articleSection":"Technology","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kristin Jansen"}],"creator":["Kristin Jansen"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["The Universe","Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS)","Glenn Research Center","NASA Centers & Facilities","NASA STEM Projects","STEM Engagement at NASA","Technology","The Solar System"],"dateCreated":"2024-04-08T16:01:00Z","datePublished":"2024-04-08T16:01:00Z","dateModified":"2024-04-08T16:26:05Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Names Finalists of the Power to Explore Challenge\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/technology\/rps\/nasa-names-finalists-of-the-power-to-explore-challenge-2\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2024-04-08T16:01:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Technology\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"The Universe,Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS),Glenn Research Center,NASA Centers & Facilities,NASA STEM Projects,STEM Engagement at NASA,Technology,The Solar System\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Kristin Jansen\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"2 weeks","featured_image":{"id":632836,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/power-to-explore-wordcloud-2000x1125-80-c.jpg","title":"power-to-explore-wordcloud—2000×1125-80-c","alt":"The 2024 Power to Explore logo celebrates the total eclipse with an illustration of the Sun disappearing behind an atomic symbol.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642656"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642656"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":642777,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642656\/revisions\/642777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642656"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=642656"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=642656"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=642656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}