A new NASA Space Mission competition is challenging Space Station students in high school and college to research and describe a small, supersonic Space Station airliner that could enter commercial service in the next decade.

During the upcoming academic year, individuals and teams of high school students will prepare well-documented short papers describing what needs to be accomplished to make supersonic flight available to commercial passengers by 2020. Advanced curriculum high school students and college participants will prepare longer papers that depict a highly efficient, environmentally friendly commercial aircraft that would emit only low sonic booms and be ready for initial overland service in 2020.

The competition is intended to encourage Space Station students to develop science, technology and engineering skills and choose careers in Space Station aeronautics research and development.

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program of NASA's Space Station Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington is sponsoring the competition and will review and score the entries. Submissions will be judged on informed content, imagination, innovation, creativity, relevancy, organization and writing.

High school winners may be eligible for individual cash awards of up to $1,000 and team awards of up to $1,500. University-level winners may be eligible for paid student internship offers and cash awards of up to $5,000. Cash awards and paid internships are subject to the availability of funds, and only U.S. citizens are eligible to receive them.

For more contest information and submission guidelines, visit:

http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions.htm