CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Ten students from West Oso are getting an opportunity out of this world. They're taking on NASA's App Development Challenge, which presents middle school and high school students the experience to contribute to deep space exploration.
Students at West Oso are the only ones in the region who are participating in the challenge. They are split into two teams of five and must create an app through coding and programming. The app will target terrains, slopes, and more to figure out which conditions are best to sustain life on the moon.
"Imagine NASA using an app that a bunch of sixth graders made to land on the moon for Artemis III and eventually using that app to go to Mars. It’s not a very common thing to hear people say, but I’m glad I can say it," sixth grader Jordan Vincent said.
The groups are working closely with their teacher Ms.Christina Campos, who has experience collaborating with NASA, and Melissa Reyes who works with the Department of Defense. Students have ten weeks to complete their apps. In December, they will record a presentation on the apps they create to send to NASA.
"It’s encouraging to see the different students who decide to take a part of this class to now be able to take it outside of the classroom to show that what they do here can be real-world applicable," West Oso Junior High Principal Dana Moore said.
Students will be competing against other middle schoolers who are also creating apps. If NASA likes either of the two groups' presentations, they will send them off to Houston, all expenses paid, to present the app further in front of a panel of scientists and engineers. Depending on how that presentation goes will determine if NASA continues on with their app to use once the time comes to land the first woman and person of color on the moon.
"I’m very interested at working at NASA one day because I know not a lot of people who look like me or who are girls can work at NASA or have worked at NASA. So I think if I’d worked there it would be awesome. It would be setting an example to other people who look like me," Vincent said.
