And the Winner is: ‘Resolution’

January 14, 2009 —Courtesy of some New Jersey high school freshmen, “Resolution” is the new name of a lightweight, durable, inflatable habitat now undergoing testing at the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The name submitted by ninth graders at Holy Cross High School in Delran, N.J., was the winner of the Antarctic habitat-naming contest, sponsored by NASA and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, an international, nonprofit educational organization founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts lost during the final flight of the space shuttle Challenger. Students in grades 6-10 could enter. The exploration vessel Resolution was the first ship to cross the Antarctic Circle in January 1773 and was under the command of Captain James Cook. Holy Cross students said the new habitat represents an advance in technology, much as Cook's ship did. The students also pointed out that the word "resolution" aptly describes America's intent to explore space. NASA unveiled the inflatable habitat, which one day may be used on the moon, in November 2007. It is scheduled to be disassembled and returned to the United States later this month. An inflatable habitat is one of several concepts being considered for astronaut housing on the moon. The structure resembles a children’s inflatable backyard bounce house, but it is insulated, heated, pressurized, and has power. It offers 384 square feet of living space and has, at its highest point, an 8-foot ceiling. The development and deployment of the habitat was funded through NASA's Innovative Partnership Program's Seed Fund initiative, with in-kind resource contributions by the National Science Foundation and ILC Dover of Frederica, Delaware, the manufacturer of the structure.

Team members from NASA, the National Space Foundation and ILC Dover installed a weather station next to the inflatable habitat. The team is stationed at the McMurdo Complex in Antarctica. Credit: NASA Team members from NASA, the National Space Foundation and ILC Dover fasten down the inflatable habitat at the McMurdo Complex in Antarctica. Credit: NASA Team members from NASA, the National Space Foundation and ILC Dover fasten down the inflatable habitat at the McMurdo Complex in Antarctica. Credit: NASA

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