DENTON, Texas (UNT) — Imagine creating a human settlement on the planet Mercury. Now imagine having to create that in only 21 hours. That was exactly the task Joanna Feaster was given and the plan her team came up with is sending her to the International Space Settlement Design Competition this summer in Florida.
“I’m super excited to go,” said Feaster. “The opportunity to get to compete internationally is amazing. It’s like a dream come true.”
Feaster is one of four students from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas who recently had the chance to attend the regional Space Settlement Design Competition at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Each student was placed on one of four, 50 person teams that went head to head in a contest that had them working at a hypothetical company of the future with the goal of creating a sustainable colony.
“They had a list of requirements,” said Feaster. “We had to design the settlement including everything from human housing to water purification to electrical needs and structures, even necessary machinery and robots. We also had to have a plan to manage it all. Of course, we had to keep focus on the space element and present a finished idea by the end of 21 hours.”
Feaster acted as vice president on her team and they won the regional competition. She was then one of only 12 students invited to move on to the international competition at Kennedy Space Center.
“I’m so excited and happy that I get this opportunity,” said Feaster. “There is only a small group of us going, but we’re going to combine with other teams from across the world. We have several days this time instead of a few hours to create our plan. Of course, we don’t know what our challenge will be until we get there.”
Feaster, a high school junior from Friendswood, Texas, grew up with Johnson Space Center nearby and went to several camps there. She has always had a deep love for space and for NASA. For her, this competition only confirms her career path.
“I want to do aerospace engineering, which is why I was super psyched about this competition,” said Feaster. “I really enjoyed what I saw at the competition and I look forward to studying aerospace engineering and hopefully working for NASA someday.”
About TAMS
UNT's Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science is the nation's first accelerated residential program for gifted high schoolers, allowing them to come to UNT to start their first two years of college early. Mentored by faculty at UNT, TAMS students tackle complex, real-world problems, working on solutions and breakthroughs in fields ranging from healthcare to energy consumption. TAMS is an important pipeline for STEM education, nurturing the next generation of innovators, and the program is one of the many ways UNT advances science, engineering and technology.