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[Photos] Lunar Lion Debuts New Mission Headquarters

The Lunar Lion team, Penn State’s student-led mission to the moon, debuted its new “mission headquarters” yesterday morning, highlighted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with university president Eric Barron.

The headquarters, entirely student-designed, will be used by the team to develop and build its prototype rocket thrusters and moon landers. Relative to the team’s prior workspace, the mission headquarters is more spacious, located in a more accessible part of campus, and can better support multiple kinds of prototype testing, according to outgoing student team president JP Muncks.

Also important: the Lunar Lion’s new workspace features a SICK mural, painted by student and team member Kara Morgan, as well as a life-sized mock up of the lander that Penn State is hoping to put on the moon by the end of 2015. You can contribute to the effort here, as Lunar Lion is still in need of more funding to make the trip happen.

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Lunar Lion’s quadricopter, used for testing control systems, sits on a demonstration table in the team’s new mission headquarters. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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A mock-up of the Lunar Lion lander rests beside the mural painted by team member Kara Morgan in the Lunar Lion’s new mission headquarters. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Penn State president Eric Barron cuts the ribbon for the grand opening of Lunar Lion’s new mission headquarters. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Vince Pesce, who leads the team developing Lunar Lion’s propulsion, walks through how a prototype rocket thruster works. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Alwin Paul, right, who leads the team in charge of building the Lunar Lion’s structure, explains the team’s prototype lunar lander (“PUMA”) to Ed Liszka, director of Penn State’s Applied Research Lab. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Paul explains the PUMA prototype lander to Penn State president Eric Barron. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Freshman Mitchell Lester, of State College, explains the process of 3D printing. Lester had been involved with Lunar Lion for several months prior to starting at Penn State through State College Area High School. (Photo: Bobby Chen)
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Lunar Lion team lead Michael Paul, left, chats with Christian Brady, dean of the Schreyer Honors College. (Photo: Bobby Chen)

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About the Author

Bobby Chen

Writer and photographer, helping tell the many stories of the Penn State community.

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