Last frontier realized by SE physics major
by Brian Shults, se news editor

    While some students may have their heads in the clouds, one SE Campus student has her in space.

   Christine Esser was among 100 Texans accepted into a program designed for community college students preparing to enter the aeronautics field.

   Although Esser described the three-day competition at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston as “long and exhausting,” she also discussed its benefits.

   “Just being there gave me a better idea of what it would be like to work at NASA and how I could have a career there because that is my goal,” she said.

   Esser, a physics major, was selected to participate in the competition last month. Not until her arrival in Houston did she learn of the nature of the competition.

   “We had to build Mars rovers, the remote control machines NASA uses. We had a supply list and a parts list and had to stay under budget,” she said.

   When all the students were assembled, the NASA group leaders divided everyone into separate companies, each assigned a respective country to represent. The companies were then subdivided into engineers, designers, budget directors, communication directors and management, Esser said.

   Esser’s group represented Germany, and the team’s first task was to deliver a proposal for funding of its rover. With only seven minutes to deliver the speech, the budget manager accidentally cut the speech short, believing his time was up. This mistake was costly.

   “All the companies started with $100 million, and depending on how the presentation went, you received more or less money. My company had $80 million to start with instead of the full $100 million,” she said.

   The company detailed each member’s participation, placing Esser in charge of communication. Next, the design crew began forming Styrofoam models within the confines of the budget, Esser said.

   The rover’s task, upon completion, was to scale various obstacles, test and select specific rocks and specimens and to take them to a holding area. In order for the rover to be successful in each of these ventures, the team considered tires, motor size and body construction, Esser said.

   “The first full day, Monday, we were all there from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. in one room. They gave us only so much time to complete it,” she said.

   Working under the weight of a deadline, much as the workers at NASA do, Esser and her company plodded on. And sparing no flavor of reality, the budget director soon discovered that the company was allowed to go up to $15 million over budget. The extra funding strengthened their design, but eventually was of no avail, Esser said.

   “Not a single piece cost under $1 million. Our company went $11 million over budget, but some went $40 million over,” she said.

   The following Tuesday the company proceeded to tackle the obstacle course. Because the team had not purchased the tires with the best traction, the second ramp they approached was insurmountable

   “The ramp had a slippery part at the top, and we just kept sliding. So we took the rover over to another rock and tried again,” she said.

   The body shape of the rover proved to be their demise. It was constructed in the shape of an arch, sometimes causing it to flip over. During the demonstration, it did just that. While the team was attempting to maneuver it topside, the rover shattered, Esser said.

   Coming in last place was not without its rewards. The competition proved to be a valuable experience, Esser said.

   “I met Bonnie Dunbar, who has been an astronaut for years and is also an aerospace engineer. I spoke with her, told her what my goals were and said I wanted to work at NASA. As far as educational goals, she suggested I go to the NASA website, which lists positions and requirements,” she said.

   Esser plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Texas at Arlington.

   “I would like to be in the space science division because my interest is in other planets. Bonnie [Dunbar] told me that NASA requires only a bachelor’s degree to begin working there,” she said.