JPL Announces Glider Contest for Southern California Schools

Posted: September 3, 2003

On December 5, 2003 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will hold its Annual 2003 Invention Challenge on its campus in Pasadena, CA. The title for this year's contest is the Wright Turn Glider Contest.

[Pictured at right: 2002's "Most Creative" Jellybean Tosser.]

The contest is not only open to all JPL employees, contractors, and immediate family members, but to teams of students from Southern California middle schools and high schools as well. School teams must submit their entry forms between September 15 and October 3.

Student/school teams will compete at either of two regional competitions held on Saturday, November 15, 2003 at the University of Southern California and at California State University at Fullerton. Details of the regional competitions will be sent to all registered teams. Only the first 75 student team entries will be permitted to compete at the regional competitions. The top five winners of each regional competition will be invited to compete at the JPL contest held on Friday, December 5, 2003. In addition, the next closest ten entries between both regional competitions will be invited to compete at the JPL contest. All student teams that participate in the JPL contest must be cleared through the JPL security office prior to arrival.

[Pictured at left: 2002's First Place Jellybean Tosser.]

2003 "Wright Turn Glider" Objective: Create a glider that, when propelled from the officially supplied launcher, flies through the air, makes a right-hand turn, and lands onto an "X" 12.2 meters [40 feet] away. The winner will be the contestant whose glider's first-touch is closest to the "X".

For more details, complete rules, and contact information for this year's Invention Challenge, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/team/ic_2003_rules.html.

For information on JPL's Invention Challenge in general as well as pictures and stories from previous year's Challenges, please visit: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/team/ic_index.html.

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