The Moonbuggy Race Team

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The Moonbuggy Race Team
Keith Bandi
Department of Mechanical
Engineering Purdue School
Of Engineering Technology, Indianapolis

• 2001-2002

Presented to ME Industrial Advisory Board,
October 5, 2001
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Who Are We?

• We are a team of engineering, technology, and
  science students who compete annually in The
  Great Moonbuggy Race.
• Each year we follow the process of
• Design
• Modeling Testing
• Construction
• Teamwork Competition
• The final product is a moonbuggy ready for
  competition in The Great Moonbuggy Race.

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What is The Great Moonbuggy Race?

• The Great Moonbuggy Race is a competition held
  every April by NASA at the Space and Rocket
  Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
• The competition was developed to emulate the
  ingenuity of the original moonbuggy designers at
  the Marshall Space Flight Center.
• Original concerns such as weight, size and
  versatility are confronted by the student
  engineers.

http//moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html
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The Original
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Moon Buggy Background

• First Moon Buggy, actually called a lunar roving
  vehicle, was conceived in 1969
• Used in the Apollo Missions 15, 16 17
• Used to gather rock specimens from craters and
  the lunar surface

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What Are The Design Race Requirements?

• The moonbuggy must be human powered and driven by
  one male and one female student.
• Unassembled the moonbuggy must fit in a 4x4 cube.
• Unassembled the two drivers must be able to carry
  the moonbuggy 20ft.
• The moonbuggy must be assembled by the two
  drivers at the starting line of the race course
  the assembly time is added to the race time.

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What Is The Course Like?

• The course is a half mile of simulated lunar
  surface laid out on the grounds of the Space and
  Rocket Center.
• Course obstacles include
• Hills with an angles grades to 30 degrees
• Craters
• Lunar sand
• Large rocks and bumps

http//moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html
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Whats At Stake?

• A unique opportunity for students to gain hands
  on engineering experience in a teamwork
  environment.
• An opportunity to compete with dozens of other
  universities across the U.S.
• An opportunity to represent and work with local
  firms and companies.
• An opportunity to travel to the Kennedy Space
  Center and be guests at a live shuttle launch.

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What Do We Need?

• Sponsorship
• Financial Contributions
• Gifts in Kind including
• Supervised limited use of machining facilities
• Donations of materials
• 4130 steel chrome alloy
• 6061 T6 Aluminum
• 7075 Aluminum
• Possibly other materials

http//moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html
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Budget?

• Rough outline to be influenced by gifts in kind
• Materials 4,000 to 5,000
• Travel, Meals and Lodging - 1,500 to 2,000
• Promotion gear - 1,000
• These figures are based on one team
• Depending upon sponsorship, we could field two
  teams

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What We Can Do For You?

• Advertisement
• Decals on moonbuggy
• Articles in the Sagamore, Dimensions, and the
  Indianapolis Star
• Web site
• Personal Connection
• Visits with the moonbuggy to requested events
• Quarterly updates on progress of design and
  performance
• Contribution Credit

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Old Design Vs New Design
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Worthy Investment!

• Design
• Modeling and Testing
• Construction
• Teamwork
• Competition

http//moonbuggy.msfc.nasa.gov/index.html
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How Can Your Organization Invest In The Moonbuggy
Race Team?

• Please Contact Faculty Advisor Dr. Ramana
  Pidaparti
• rpidapa2_at_iupui.edu
• (317) 274 6796
• We can accommodate donation procedures i.e.
  writing invoices etc.