NASA EPSCoR KY: BIG BLUE Flight Article

Future planetary exploration, including exploration of Mars and Venus, is envisioned using stable unmanned "airplanes" that are designed to deploy and fly in low-density atmospheres. BIG BLUE is a comprehensive student aerospace flight experiment project to test inflatable-wing technologies at high altitudes. This ambitious project cannot be completed without the necessary supplies, components, communication equipment or other pieces required for development and construction of the test article aircraft. This proposal is for funding to purchase components, materials and supplies (no items of equipment are included) and travel (anticipated for May 2003) to support the first flight of the BIG BLUE project. Note that the travel budget was adjusted (decreased) in the primary KSGC BIG BLUE project to allow for early purchase of some materials and supplies. Including travel in this proposal returns the total travel funding to originally anticipated levels to ensure the complete student experience.