NSWC Crane Announces Winners of Hypersonic Horizons 2024: The High Speed Video Challenge, Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

The Joint Hypersonics Transition, in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane) is proud to announce the 14 winning teams of the second annual "Hypersonic Horizons: The High Speed Video Challenge," The competition awarded a total of $32,000 to high school and undergraduate students who demonstrated exceptional innovation and technical acumen in addressing hypersonic challenges.
 
"We are committed to fostering the next generation of STEM professionals, and the Hypersonic Horizons challenge is a shining example of how we can inspire young minds to tackle complex technological hurdles," said Dr. Lori M. Stiglitz, the JHTO Workforce Development Lead. "The creativity demonstrated by these students is a testament to the bright future of hypersonics research and development."
 
This year's challenge saw student teams delve into two critical areas of hypersonic technology:
 

• High School Students: Design a conceptual spacecraft capable of landing on a celestial body like Mercury, Venus, Titan, Ceres, or Pluto, considering the unique atmospheric and gravitational challenges of each.
• Undergraduate College Students: Develop a plane-like spacecraft design capable of achieving hypersonic speeds within Mars's thin atmosphere, addressing challenges in lift generation, propulsion, and control.

The winning teams, representing a diverse range of academic institutions across the country, impressed judges with their in-depth research, innovative solutions, and engaging presentations.
 
"JHTO and NSWC Crane's commitment to supporting this challenge is commendable.  Our partnership and collaboration on this prize challenge is invaluable in providing these students with a meaningful STEM experience." said Dr. Sarah Armstrong, Distinguished Engineer for Advanced Hypersonics at NSWC Crane.
 
NSWC Crane congratulates all the winners and participants for their outstanding contributions to the future of hypersonics. The ingenuity and dedication displayed during this competition serve as an inspiration to the entire STEM community.
 
The Hypersonic Horizons 2024 Winners are:
 
High School

1. Niyathi Padman (Lake Nona High School, Orlando, FL)
2. Ayushmaan Singh (Bridgeland High School, Cypress, TX)
3. Jaykumar Patel (Belleview High School, Belleview, FL)
4. Dylan Markus Breininger, Tyson Breininger (Westport High School, Ocala, FL)
5. Shannen Wynn, Teddy Brown, Aidan Aylward (Belleview High School, Ocala, FL)
6. Aidan Holley, Mateo Kessler, Justin Sierra (Westport High School, Ocala, FL)

1. Douglas “Carson” VenDeursen, Christopher Rivera, Nicholas Rivera (Belleview High School, Ocala FL)

1. Kayla Blakey, Carl Blakey Jr., Elijah Mueller (Northern Marion High School, Citra, FL)

1. Matthew Aung, Gabriel Quilliopo (Desert Oasis High School, Las Vegas, NV)

1. Nathan Whetzel, Noah Hanford (State College Area High School, State College, PA)

1. Olamiposi Odunleye, Justin Rich, Gabriel Sandoval (Belleview High School, Ocala, FL)

 
College

1. Robert Davis, Cooper Grace, Brandon Meadows (University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN)
2. Cooper Headley, Alexander Parrish, Zachary Schroer (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX)
3. Aaron Champion (University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL)