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May 19, 2005

Augustana Junior to Work at Johnson Space Center this summer

SIOUX FALLS - RJ Tewalt, a junior from Brooklyn Center, Minn., has a summer job that’s literally out of this world.

A computer science and mathematics major, Tewalt will be working for NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. He will be teamed with Frank Delgado on the Science Crew Operations and Utility Testbed (SCOUT) robotics project.

“I’m very interested in robotics and I am definitely looking forward to this,” Tewalt said. “I’m especially looking forward to it as a learning experience.”

The SCOUT project has led to the development of a mobile platform, known as SCOUT I, that is being used to develop and test advanced rover technologies and operations concepts that will prove valuable during missions to Mars and future planetary rover development activities.

Tewalt’s placement in the project was accomplished through Augustana’s involvement in the NASA Space Grant program, Tewalt’s exceptional abilities and interests, and the encouragement and support of Dr. Daniel Swets, associate professor of computer science at Augustana and associate director of the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium. As a link between NASA and the people of South Dakota, the South Dakota Space Grant Consortium works to instill the spirit of discovery in students and educators, with a special focus on the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology that are essential for the development of the nation’s workforce.
Tewalt, a Dean’s List student at Augustana, is the son of Cindy and Roy Tewalt of Brooklyn Center, Minn.

The SCOUT project has been a multi-organization effort with participation from experts in automation and robotics, power systems, crew accommodations, avionics, structures, navigation, software systems, communication systems, and operations. SCOUT I has provided engineers and operations personnel with more than two years of hands-on experience developing and testing subsystem and control software for human transport rovers.

In 2005, SCOUT I is undergoing upgrades that will augment many of its capabilities. It, along with all future SCOUT vehicles, will continue to be developed using the agency’s new ideas for intelligent software, operations models, portable power solutions, and communication technologies.
Delgado earned his bachelor of science degree in computer science and physics at Southwest Texas State University. He has a master’s degree in physics/computer science, also from Southwest Texas State. In 2004, Delgado teamed with Mike Abernathy and James White to win runner-up honors in NASA’s Software of the Year awards for outstanding scientific or technical contributions.