From: "Ann L. Kasun" <akasun@grits.valdosta.peachnet.edu> (by way of Jan Wee <jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov>)
Subject: Rocky 7 team seeks schools for rover testing
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 13:32:10 -0600
FYI, >Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 12:36:58 -0800 (PST) >From: JPL Public Information Office <JPLNews@jpl.nasa.gov> >To: news-release@www-onlab.jpl.nasa.gov >Subject: Rocky 7 team seeks schools for rover testing >Sender: domo@www-onlab.jpl.nasa.gov > >PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE >JET PROPULSION LABORATORY >CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY >NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION >PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011 >http://www.jpl.nasa.gov > >Contact: Diane Ainsworth > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 1997 > >ROCKY 7 TEAM SEEKS CLASSES TO PARTICIPATE IN ROVER TESTING > > NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will be conducting a week- >long series of field tests in May with its next-generation rover, >called Rocky 7. To engage students in this exciting NASA >activity, the Rocky 7 team is seeking international participation >by middle and secondary schools interested in remotely driving >the rover during one of the tests on May 30. > > Four to six classrooms which have the necessary computer >hardware and software capabilities to participate in the testing >will be selected. The students will collaborate to plan command >sequences which will be sent to the rover for execution. The >students will be able to see the rover exploring specified >locations and performing tasks such as digging >and placing an instrument mounted to its 1.5-meter (5-foot) mast >against a rock. > > "The purpose of these tests is to demonstrate how scientists >around the world will collaborate in future Mars rover missions >to plan daily rover activities," said Dr. Paul Backes, rover >ground system cognizant engineer. "The test will also demonstrate >how mission information will be made available to the general >public. Anyone on the Internet will be able to see the plan that >the students generate and, then, be able to watch the rover >performing the tasks." > > Schools must submit a letter of interest, along with a >checklist of their computer hardware and software capabilities, >to Dr. Cheick Diarra, via email at cheick.m.diarra@jpl.nasa.gov, >or by fax, 818-393-6800, or by U.S.mail to Cheick Diarra, Jet >Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Mail Stop 180-401, >Pasadena, Calif., 91109. All letters must be received no later >than April 18. > > Those classes selected to participate in the test will be >notified by May 5. Selection will be based on the following >computer hardware, software and technical support requirements: > > - Computers must be either Pentium-class personal computers >with 32-megabytes of memory or Sun UNIX computers, using >a minimum of Sparc 20 and running Solaris operating >systems; > > - Monitors must be at least 17-inch color monitors with >1024 by 768 resolution; > > - The preferred Internet connection should be an ISDN >(integrated services digital network) connection, but a >28.8K modem is sufficient; > > - The Web browser should be, at minimum, Netscape Navigator >3.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0 supporting Java >applications. > > Schools must also be able to provide on-site technical >support during the tests and be able to set up their computer >networks about three weeks before the May 30 test. Preferably, >schools should have at least two computers in the classroom to >allow several students to participate at the same time. > > The Rocky 7 rover development is led by Dr. Samad Hayati and >supported by JPL's Robotics and Mars Exploration Technology >Program Office for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, >D.C. > > More information about the Rocky 7 development and the May >field testing can be obtained on the World Wide Web at: >http://robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/tasks/scirover. > > Further information about student participation in the May >testing is available at: >http://robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/tasks/scirover/operator/fieldTests/may97/ >studentOps/studentOps.html. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ann L. Kasun, Site Coordinator VSU Kings Bay PO Box 47009 Kings Bay, Ga. 31547 mailto: akasun@valdosta.edu Telephone 912 673 2001 x 8524 Fax: 912 882 9368 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~