Share with Youth: 2025 Drop Tower Challenge: Paddle Wheel

Due date for proposals: October 31, 2024

Teams of grade 8–12 students are challenged to design and build paddle wheels that will turn in water because of the wetting properties of their surfaces when they experience apparent weightlessness, i.e., microgravity, in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower. If selected, the youth will prepare their paddle wheels based on provided guidance. The devices are then sent to NASA where they will fall 24 meters (79 feet). Video results of the microgravity testing is provided for student analysis and reporting.

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