GLENDALE, Ariz. - More than 850 fifth through eighth grade students from across Arizona traveled to ASU at the West Campus on Monday, December 3, and Tuesday, December 4, to participate in the preliminaries of the 9th Annual Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge presented by The Arizona Republic featuring Microsoft Mission Control.

Out of the 213 teams that participated, six were selected to advance to the finals at the Challenger Space Center in Peoria on Friday, December 28.

The six finalists will present their projects to a panel of NASA astronauts and Honeywell engineers. In addition, each team will receive a Challenger Space Center Simulated Mission for their class and plaque for their school, while the first place team at the finals will be treated to a VIP, behind the scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for a behind-the-scenes look at NASA facilities. The winning team will also be recognized on-field at the 37^th Annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday, January 2, 2008.

The contest, which has quickly become one of the premiere academic contests in the Valley for students and teachers, is designed to promote knowledge of space and science technology through the development of a new generation International Space Station. Complete with a physical scale model, students present their projects to Honeywell engineers, who serve as judges. Projects must also include explanations of how they’ll manage waste, food and oxygen demands, and other information pertaining to life on the space station.

Meet the Finalists of the Honeywell Fiesta Bowl Aerospace Challenge presented by the Arizona Republic featuring Microsoft Mission Control

Bogle Junior High School, S.T.A.R. (Space Technologies Assisting Renewal)

City: Chandler

Teacher: Ms. Mina Bhagdev

Students: Erich Brown, Nyle Hamidi, Chase Litzner

Bogle Junior High School, The Next Generation

Cities: Chandler

Teacher: Ms. Mina Bhagdev

Students: Dennis Wu, Rajan Sheth, Varun Ramesh

Kosmos Combined Homeschool Group

City: Gilbert

Teacher: Mr. Todd Sullivan

Students: Jesse Lowery, Ben Braaksma, Philip Godfrey, Luana Johnson, Lauren Sullivan

Four Peaks Elementary, The Orbit Technicians

City: Fountain Hills

Teacher: Mrs. Sue Hare

Students: Talia Ventenilla, Carly Montanez, Olivia Anderson, Kaycee Hixson

******Oasis Elementary, Aro Cygnus II

City: Peoria

Teacher: Mrs. Deb Jones

Students: Mindy Church******!!!!!!! (MY SMART COUSIN!!), Kiah Kowalski, Renee Leffler, Kiara Rhymes, Wylie Rhymes

Tri-City Christian Academy, Satellite Repair Cadets

City: Tempe

Teacher: Ms. Theresa Trogen

Students: Jeremy Tetreau, Triston Hudson, Sydney Trogen, Kristian Charboneau, Ethan Roberson

For more information, please visit www.aerospacechallenge.com.