NASA lists winners of design competition

WASHINGTON, July 13 (UPI) -- Eight U.S. college students have summer jobs at NASA this year as a result of their participation in a competition to design a supersonic airliner.

College students from the U.S., Japan and India researched technology and created concepts for a supersonic passenger jet as part of the competition sponsored by the Fundamental Aeronautics Program in NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate.

NASA said each participant was asked to design a small supersonic airliner and submit a research paper limited to 25 pages. Designs had to be for an efficient, environmentally friendly, low sonic boom commercial aircraft that could be ready for initial service by 2020.

A team of undergraduates from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., and a team of graduate students from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta tied for first place in the U.S. division. A University of Tokyo undergraduate team won top honors in the non-U.S. category.

Winning U.S. participants received prizes, including the internships and up to $5,000 in cash. Non-U.S. teams received an engraved trophy.

A list of the winners and other information is available at http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/competition_winners_college.htm.