High Schoolers' Solar Panel Idea Launches to Space

0:00Three grads from Hewitt Trustfield High School in Alabama just got a cosmic shout-out during the Artemis II launch. Jacob Lee, Ben Caps and Weston Ellison put their names on Lockers at NASA Space Center in Houston back in 2023. Those Lockers are now orbiting in space as part of the mission. All thanks to a project they built for a NASA High School hardware program, they designed a clever solar panel cleaner to keep spacecraft gears spotless without scratches. Instead of brushes, they tapped into magnetic materials found in space and on Mars, making it stand out from the usual ideas. That hands-on work earned them the chance to sign those lockers, turning a school project into something out of this world. The guys are thrilled, mixing all with real-life vibes. Ben called it a wild rush, like your name's up there forever, but then reality hits with exams in 15 minutes. Still, they love picturing jokes with grandkids about being astronaut someday. Jacob said the hard work paid off big time.

1:02Fast forward, Ben and Jacob are juniors at Auburn University studying mechanical engineering. Weston's pursuing business at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It amps up Alabama's tie to this historic NASA moment. Their story shows how high school ingenuity can launch dreams into orbit, proving everyday hustlers can touch the stars. That's your update from Birmingham News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with The Story.