From our July 27, 2000, edition.

Local youth helps design mission to Mars

Nickless Devin (left) participating in activities at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Nickless Devin of Clarendon was one of 25 Texas high school students who spent a week at the Johnson Space Center in Houston using their math and science skills to design a human mission to Mars.

Devin was nominated by State Senator Tom Haywood to be a part of a unique educational experience called the Texas Aerospace Scholars Program.  The program is the result of a partnership between NASA – JSC and the State of Texas to encourage students to pursue engineering options in school.

After being nominated, Devin began the program with distance and web-based learning experiences that culminated in a one-week long visit to JSC in Houston.  Devin and his teammates used their imagination, coupled with math and science skills, to develop a plan for how humans will get to Mars and then learn to live and work on the planet’s surface.

Their expertise came from a series of classroom sessions, field trips, hands-on projects, and assistance from JSC employee-mentors who provided them with insight into the challenges of living and working in a hostile environment.

For more information on the TAS Program, visit the website at http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/