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Dick Scobee Space Design Challenge
Space Design Title
space shuttle

The Overview

The Overview

The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center is launching a design challenge with the aim of engaging K-12 student teams (3-4 students per team) in the Design Engineering Process and connecting them to a real-world career, a Museum Exhibit Designer.

In this role, students will explore the history of the Challenger incident and the Space Medal of Honor and learn more about current and future space explorations to better guide the design of their exhibit prototypes.

This design challenge is competitive and includes a monetary prize. One student team will be selected from each category as the winning team. The monetary prize will be awarded to the classroom/school of the winning student team from each category.

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Space man 3
Space helmet 2

The Mission

  • Your task is to design and prototype (reduced-scale) an exhibit in the new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • The goal is to Honor the Challenger Seven, Recognize all Space Medal of Honor Recipients, OR Inspire Future Generations to continue exploring.
  • The problem/challenge is that 1) the previous Museum Exhibit Designer has other commitments and cannot work on this project and 2) the gallery is less than 1000 square feet (with a workable ceiling of 9 feet). Each exhibit is only allocated 60 square feet. Designing multiple exhibits aimed at Honoring, Recognizing, and Inspiring in such a small gallery space with additional constraints of 60 square feet will require creativity and ingenuity.
  • You are now a Museum Exhibit Designer “hired” by the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
  • You have been asked to design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for the Center’s new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery.
  • Your job is to: 
  •  
    • Research the history surrounding the Challenger Seven and the Space Medal of Honor and investigate the current pursuits of NASA and Blue Origin to better understand where we have been and where we are going regarding space exploration.
    • Develop a concept of an exhibit that either 1) Honors the Challenger Seven, 2) Recognizes all Space Medal of Honor Recipients, OR 3) Inspires Future Generations to continue exploring. Consider what/who you will highlight. Design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for the new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery.
  • Your clients are the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center’s Board Members, Executive Director, Director of Education, and supporters and funders of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
  • Your audience will be teachers, students, and the general public visiting the Center once the Gallery has been designed and constructed.
  • You will work to convince the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center’s personnel that your exhibit prototype (reduced-scale) best captures their aim of including exhibits that honor, recognize, and inspire.

The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center is expanding the stories of Medal of Honor recipients it tells through the addition of its Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery. This Gallery will focus on Space Medal of Honor recipients and future space exploration. The Center wants you, as a Museum Exhibit Designer, to design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for it to consider including in its gallery. Your design, or elements of it, may actually be incorporated in the gallery.

satellite 2

The Mission

Goal

  • Your task is to design and prototype (reduced-scale) an exhibit in the new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery at the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • The goal is to Honor the Challenger Seven, Recognize all Space Medal of Honor Recipients, OR Inspire Future Generations to continue exploring.
  • The problem/challenge is that 1) the previous Museum Exhibit Designer has other commitments and cannot work on this project and 2) the gallery is less than 1000 square feet (with a workable ceiling of 9 feet). Each exhibit is only allocated 60 square feet. Designing multiple exhibits aimed at Honoring, Recognizing, and Inspiring in such a small gallery space with additional constraints of 60 square feet will require creativity and ingenuity.

Role

  • You are now a Museum Exhibit Designer “hired” by the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
  • You have been asked to design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for the Center’s new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery.
  • Your job is to: 
  •  
    • Research the history surrounding the Challenger Seven and the Space Medal of Honor and investigate the current pursuits of NASA and Blue Origin to better understand where we have been and where we are going regarding space exploration.
    • Develop a concept of an exhibit that either 1) Honors the Challenger Seven, 2) Recognizes all Space Medal of Honor Recipients, OR 3) Inspires Future Generations to continue exploring. Consider what/who you will highlight. Design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for the new Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery.

Audience

  • Your clients are the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center’s Board Members, Executive Director, Director of Education, and supporters and funders of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
  • Your audience will be teachers, students, and the general public visiting the Center once the Gallery has been designed and constructed.
  • You will work to convince the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center’s personnel that your exhibit prototype (reduced-scale) best captures their aim of including exhibits that honor, recognize, and inspire.

Situation

The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center is expanding the stories of Medal of Honor recipients it tells through the addition of its Dick Scobee Space Medal of Honor Gallery. This Gallery will focus on Space Medal of Honor recipients and future space exploration. The Center wants you, as a Museum Exhibit Designer, to design and prototype (reduced-scale) ONE exhibit for it to consider including in its gallery. Your design, or elements of it, may actually be incorporated in the gallery.

"One Small Step..."

planet 1

Design Approaches

Honoring the Challenger 7

  • Why should this story be told through an exhibit?

Watch this short interview with Mrs. June Scobee-Rodgers, the wife of deceased Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee who was Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Play Video

Recognizing all space medal of honor recipients

  • Why should their stories be told through an exhibit?

Watch this short interview with Mrs. June Scobee-Rodgers, the wife of deceased Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee who was Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Play Video

Inspiring future generations

  • What is a Museum Exhibit Designer?
  • What missions is NASA currently working on, and which future ones is NASA planning to complete?
    • Learn more about NASA’s current and future missions via this database using the search filters: Missions
    • Learn more about NASA’s missions here: Missions
  • What projects is Blue Origin currently working on?
    • Learn more about Blue Origin’s work here: News
  • What does a leader, in this case a Museum Exhibit Designer, need to infuse in an exhibit to inspire future generations to continue exploring?
  • Why should we attempt to inspire the next generation through an exhibit?  

Watch this short interview with Mrs. June Scobee-Rodgers, the wife of deceased Francis Richard “Dick” Scobee who was Commander of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Play Video

Design Approaches

Honoring the Challenger 7

Recognizing all space medal of honor recipients

Inspiring future generations

  • What is a Museum Exhibit Designer?
  • What missions is NASA currently working on, and which future ones is NASA planning to complete?
    • Learn more about NASA’s current and future missions via this database using the search filters: Missions
    • Learn more about NASA’s missions here: Missions
  • What projects is Blue Origin currently working on?
    • Learn more about Blue Origin’s work here: News
  • What does a leader, in this case a Museum Exhibit Designer, need to infuse in an exhibit to inspire future generations to continue exploring?
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satellite 1

FAQ

FAQ

  • K-12 public and private school students may participate in this design challenge
  • K-2 | $1,000 (Classroom of winning student team receives prize)
  • 3-5 | $1,000 (Classroom of winning student team receives prize)
  • 6-8 | $5,000 (School of winning student team receives prize)
  • 9-12 | $10,000 (School of winning student team receives prize)
  • Student teams of 3-4 students are strongly encouraged for collaboration purposes.
  • There are no material requirements for the prototypes. The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center recognizes not all teams will have access to digital fabrication tools and/or a wide range of materials for prototype design and construction.
  • Prototypes can be interactive as well as digital. The sky’s the limit. Whatever teams can dream, design, and prototype will be acceptable.
  • Essentially, we do not want adults and experts doing the work for you. This challenge is for you and your teammates. It is for you to dream up and create. If you are using equipment to fabricate and need help with that equipment, then, yes, outside assistance is acceptable. At the end of the day, you will know deep down if your team is being honest throughout the process. Integrity is important to us.
  • You are allotted 60 square feet for your design, but please note as is mentioned in this challenge that a reduced scale is acceptable. Consider creating a diarama/think biome in a box if you prefer. These designs do not have to fill up 60 square feet and can be at a reduced scale.

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