Students will launch project into space

Several Colorado State University mechanical engineering and engineering science students and faculty members are designing a key component for a 2009 NASA satellite launch, part of a new satellite tether system.

Working in conjunction with JAXA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, CSU's FAST (FAst Starting Test) Pallet team is currently engineering a payload for a sounding rocket mission to facilitate the collection of electrons on a bare tether.

Mostly made from high-strength fibers and conducting wires, space tethers are integral in connecting spacecraft to each other or other objects and are vital to advanced space acceleration and deceleration systems based on electrodynamically generated forces.

When employed on orbiting satellites, the current collected on a bare tether can be used to decelerate and de-orbit exhausted space stages and other debris, clearing the way for safer space missions in the future.

"Our project is a critical component of this mission," said CSU engineering science student and team leader Meghan Capra. "If we don't work, the mission doesn't work; the experiment cannot be run without this piece [of hardware]."

Visit the Electronic Propulsion and Plasma Engineering Laboratory website for more information on CSU's Department of Mechanical Engineering and Space Program at www.engr.colostate.edu/ionstand/index.html.

Flower power: Students ‘dig’ design competition at Centerra

Colorado State University landscape design students are blossoming into their full potential.

Petunias, marigolds, sunlight margarite daisy, salvias, lantana, and celosia were planted in six highly-visible locations at Centerra in Loveland.

Richly colored flower beds punctuate the landscape at Centerra in Loveland, the result of the first student landscape design competition conducted in cooperation with Colorado State and ValleyCrest Landscape Development.

Five pairs of students competed. The winning design, by Meghan Oren and Chad Witney, was planted this spring by ValleyCrest, Centerra's contract landscape firm.

Real-world student experience

Beginning last fall, students experienced the entire bid process from start to finish. They created flower-bed designs according to Centerra's design guidelines and budget, submitted conceptual plans, processed client feedback, and gave a final presentation. The winners were chosen in December, and the flower beds were planted in May.

"It's a great way to prepare our students to be successful after they graduate," said Zach Johnson, a Colorado State professor with the Landscape Design and Contracting Program. "It gives them realistic expectations of the professional world."

Eye-catching appeal

While flowers are planted annually at Centerra, this pilot program gave ValleyCrest a chance to try something new. Board members from the Centerra Commercial Owners Association selected Oren and Witney's design for its eye-catching appeal and ability to bring a "pop" to Centerra's main gateway entrances.

"We were excited to partner with CSU and ValleyCrest on a project that gives students hands-on experience in their field," said Kim Perry, vice president of community design for McWhinney Enterprises. "The students were able to use their creativity to develop colorful and inviting flower-bed patterns that stayed within the design parameters of our master-planned community."

The final results were impressive: Centerra has new flower beds, and ValleyCrest has hired contest winners Oren and Witney.