The Race

Huntsville, 04/04/08

Today we stand up at 4.30 in the morning because at 5 o' clock in the morning we have our first meeting with the press. At this time it is "Channel 19". Markus does the spokesman, Andrij and me are the drivers. The reporter asks us to show the Moonbuggy. We drive a little bit around and show them the fold mechanic. It doesn’t work perfectly because we forget to get ready the close mechanic. After that interview, comes an other reporter and asks the team to describe our Moonbuggy. This time I do the spokeswoman with Markus and Peggy is a pilot with Andrij.

The other teams arrive slowly. At 8 am the opening ceremony begins. Some sponsors and important persons like the headquarter of the NASA or the director of the Space&Rocket Centre speak in the front. Then a man sings the hymn of America. All the people put their right hand on their hearts. Afterwards we go to our Moonbuggy. Yvonne and Peggy bring some breakfast to the tent. In this time, the jury comes. They observe critical the Ganymed 1B. Markus and me talk with them and present the Moonbuggy. To show our torsion skelett, Andrij and me drive a small round. Suddenly there come some dark clouds and it begins to rain. It becomes very worse. I am very excited. I think the other team-members as well. We are sitting under the tent and wear the click shoes. We ask also the Huntsville team to give us their Safety Glasses. While waiting, there comes an other reporter from NASA EDGE. They interview me and ask how I am feeling before the race. I told that I am very excited but very happy to be here in Huntsville and live Moonbuggy Race.

Right: "Krack" and the front axle is gone.

During the morning we heard a voice which says: "Number 33, the German Space Education Institute." So in the rain we went to the first Control Station. There they measure our Buggy with a cube. Then me and Andrij, the pilots of the first race, must carry it 6 meters without problems and open it in 15 seconds because the tape of Andrijs foot hangs. After that we went to the racing start but our chain springs out. We have to repair it very quickly in the last seconds before the race. Alex is under the Buggy while the others are holding it. Together we does it very well. After a few minutes waiting at the start our starting signal resounds :"Ooouuuhhhii!!" like a siren. The pilots begin to drive. Everything is alright. We are fast and we drive through every obstacle without problems till we can't drive anymore. Our pedals are hanging. They didn't work anymore. So we get out of the Moonbuggy and push the whole route until the finish. Then we notice that our front axle is broken.

Above: Pit Stop for the Moonbuggy after the axle broke.

We are happy that we reach the finish but we are upset because we think that we don't can start a second a time. When we parked the Moonbuggy some people of other teams are standing around it, especially of the Centre for Technology, the school we met second last day. They all want to help us to repair our Buggy. All are searching for an idea. But we want only eat something and be sad. Only Andrij (our Russian member) rest there. When we come back from the lunch (Hamburger and Coke as usually), they found already a way to fix the front axle. After welding and repairing other small things our Buggy can start in the second race. We are very happy now. So Peggy and Andrij drive the second turn in 4 minutes and a few seconds without getting off. The whole team is so happy. Alex and me run the route during the race of our team. Finally we showed our teamleader, Mr. Heckel, that we have team spirit and we never give up in the worst situation because he didn't want to start with the broken Moonbuggy. His words are: " Now you are a real team!"

Left: Just before the start to the second race.

At 4 pm is the Award ceremony. Yvonne and me go to take the participation Award. First they give us the one of the New Mexico High School. Then are the real Awards. Best Design Award, Teamspirit Award, Most Unique Award, ...and suddenly "the System Safety Award for the German Space Education Institute". I am very proud of it as the chief of protocol and safety, but the others too. After that the NASA EDGE wants to do an interview after the race. So I am waiting. Some other team members are waiting with me and I say: "I want to ride with the Multi Axes Simulator." A woman is standing beside us and goes to a man because she heard it. Then she comes back and says that we can come tomorrow at 11 o' clock in the morning to ride it. We are more happy. The reporter of NASA EDGE asks some question about the race. The whole team answers and thanks for the sponsors. Afterwards we pack our wet stuff in the car and go back to the hotel. We have one hour to relax. The boys sleep while Peggy and me play with Cosma, the Baby of Ralf and Yvonne Heckel.

In the evening we get ready for the dinner in "El Palacio". At 8 pm we are all there: our team, an other team, Prof. von Puttkamer and the Headricks. In the end of the day only Prof. von Puttkamer and our team rest. We had a interesting discussion. At 9.45 pm we are leaving, because we are all so tired and we can't anymore. In the hotel we fall in our beds and sleep.

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Authors: Reshma Anwar and Alexander Uth
Editor: Frank Erhardt(Astrolabium.Net)