WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency and the Challenger Center for Space Education are sponsoring a competition to name a habitat in Antarctica.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is testing a lightweight, durable, inflatable habitat at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The habitat is one of NASA's concepts for astronaut housing on the moon.
The Challenger Center is conducting the "Name that Habitat" competition for K-12 students. The winning name will be announced in January.
NASA said an inflatable habitat is one of several concepts being considered for astronaut housing on the moon.
"The structure looks something like an inflatable backyard bounce house for children but it is far more sophisticated," NASA said in a statement. "It is insulated, heated, and is pressurized and has power. It offers 384 square feet of living space and has, at its highest point, an 8-foot ceiling."
The Challenger Center is an international, non-profit educational organization founded in 1986 by the families of the astronauts who died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion.
More information about entering the competition is available at http://www.challenger.org/hab.
