Last year Team Selene represented MSU in the NASA SUITS challenge. The team began this year with a renewed vision and mission rebranding from “Selene in Suits” to “Selene Research.”
The team wants to attract students from all majors, not just computer science so that “they can join us in completing a long-term project”, Selene Research Vice president, Victoria Heredia said.
Their inspiring experience travelling to Houston gave them a deeper appreciation of NASA missions and the importance of teamwork. It was a week full of testing and speaking one-on-one with several NASA researchers where they finally got to showcase the hard work they did during the last two semesters.
Despite being under pressure to make sure their systems worked together and to find solutions for the issues with their current systems, it “was a once in a lifetime experience that not many others get to see.” President of Selene Research, Adrian Robledo said.
“We visited the historic Mission Control Center. This is where the Apollo missions were managed. The Astronaut Training Facility and Rocket Park, home to the Saturn V rocket are also located here.” Heredia said.
Being in those places where space history was made felt surreal. Outside of the tour, we were still working together, finalizing details at the hotel and supporting each other before test day” Heredia stated.
Their plans for this academic year include reapplying to the NASA SUITS challenge with the hope of being selected to be part of both the spacesuit section and the rover.
However, they emphasized that the experience itself is invaluable and which they are grateful for regardless of the results.
Beyond improving what they have already done, the team is also seeking out students in order to be part of STEM focused challenges such as the Micro-g NExT design. These types of activities are proposed by the NASA Johnson Space Center.
Following such a successful debut, the pressure this semester is undeniable. Heredia stated that she joined the team in November after the initial proposal was submitted. Now she is taking part in the writing proposal section.
On the other hand, Robledo expects to succeed as they did last year. Nevertheless, they both agree that there are a lot of expectations.
“We now have a full year of experience and have most of our team returning and ready to reapply and succeed in this year’s challenge as well” Robledo said.
Team Selene enters the year setting new goals and encouraging more students to be part of this journey, balancing responsibility with excitement. They are thankful for the support they have received and will continue to grow.
If you are interested in joining the team, don’t hesitate to DM them on Instagram at: @msutexas.selene or email them at [email protected]
