An NC State banner was aboard the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis when it lifted off from launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center at 6:11 p.m. on Feb. 7, 1998.

NC State engineering students won the honor of having the banner carried into space as a reward for winning a nationwide NASA sponsored engineering contest. Some of the team members include team leader Jason Janet and team member Taylor Arnold.

They were led by faculty adviser Dr. William Allen, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In 1998, Janet, Arnold and a team of 20 other NC State engineering students won the Perpetual Cup trophy for their winning design of a lunar excavation machine. Student teams from universities across the nation were challenged by NASA to devise a reliable and timely method for clearing lunar soil. Their machine needed to be capable of digging a hole large enough to accommodate a small astronaut shelter, and then covering the shelter with soil. NASA engineers are searching for new ways of protecting astronauts from harmful solar radiation and plan to incorporate student designs into future shuttle missions.

The NC State "Helios" team went beyond the contest requirements, according to Arnold, who now works at Controlled Mindstorms Inc. in Durham.

Their design included scale models and a fully operational, remotely operated excavator. "Not only did we build the excavator, but we also designed and built the astronaut shelter, its cover, and a lunar lander," Arnold said.

The 2 ½-foot by 4-foot felt banner that went into orbit consists of the familiar wolf logo on a red background and was purchased at the NC State bookstore.

The banner is signed by the students from the winning team. Upon its return to earth, it will be signed by Shuttle Atlantis astronauts and returned to NC State. Students on the winning team were also offered VIP seating when the shuttle carried their banner aloft.

The "Helios" team was supported in part by the the NC Space Grant Consortium with a higher education grant that included student support in the project.