Background
In 2004, the US embarked on a new goal-driven mission called the Vision for Space Exploration. The main thrust of this vision is a return to the moon in what is called a "sustainable strategy", which includes use of resources that naturally occur on the moon.

While most of us remember from school that the moon is "bone dry", it turns out that in one type of location, the moon actually has significant water ice deposits. These are craters near the lunar poles, where the sun never rises high enough above the horizon to illuminate their insides. Since the moon has no atmosphere to speak of, there is no efficient mechanism to transfer heat into these craters, and the temperature there remains low enough to cryogenically trap water molecules. These craters are called "Permanently Shadowed Craters".

When the moon is struck by icy comets, the vaporized water quickly escapes back into space – except for minute quantities that randomly make it into these crater and freeze there. Hence the two terms – Random-Walk-Migration, and Cryo-Trapping.

The water, if mined, can be broken down into Hydrogen and Oxygen, and these two chemical can be used for breathing, fuel, and a host of chemical reactions. These resources today represent the bulk of the mass that a lunar expedition has to carry with it from Earth.

When considering lunar rovers that can operate in Permanently Shadowed Craters, one quickly realizes that there is no simple way to power them! Solar power is obviously unavailable, nuclear power is very difficult to handle (bulky, difficult to cool) – if only there was a way to use photovoltaics and somehow get the light to the rovers...

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Summary
The program is broken into two sections – the more theoretical science section, and the more practical project section. The sections can be taken in parallel, or sequentially. In a pinch, the order can even be reversed.

Science
The science section of the program starts with an examination of the need for, and the availability of water on the Moon and related science. It then continues to examine the engineering difficulties involved in getting the water from the permanently shadowed polar craters, and examines several possible solutions. Finally, it examines the solution of beam powered rovers.

Project
The project section introduces the Light Racers – beam powered RC Cars that "could work on the moon", and is all about designing the cars to perform well in the championship. The students learn hands-on about engineering concepts such as photovoltaics, remote control, and vehicle dynamics, and design concepts such as constraints and trade-offs.

While the concepts listed above may be considered advanced, they are very easily explained in a hands-on context: Should we make the PV array large (getting more power) and get a heavy, unstable car, or should we choose a smaller array size?

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Topics covered
Below is a list of topics that can be covered. The level of rigor depends on the grade level and available time. The topics are taught in parallel throughout the program.

• Planetary Science
  • Earth-Moon system – dimensions, relative motions
  • Lunar conditions – atmosphere, gravity, Regolith, temperature ranges
  • Craters on the moon, craters on earth
  
  
• Math
  • Geometry
  • Trigonometry
  • Graphs
  • Calculus
  • Optimization
  
  
• Physics
  • Basic principles and laws
  • Photovoltaics
  • Energy and Power
  • Lasers
  • Water Ice, other ices
  • Heat transfer
  
  
• Exploration Program
  • History of Lunar Exploration
  • Current and Near-Term exploration plans
  • Future exploration ideas
  
  
• Engineering Concepts
  • Requirements
  • Constraints
  • Trade-offs
  • Estimates