PCE News
Built for Success: PCE Students Continue Their Remarkable NASA Run
July 14, 2026
Taking a summer trip to Houston to have their work tested by NASA astronauts is becoming a regular occurrence for PCE students!
For the sixth time in seven years, a PCE team recently traveled to the Johnson Space Center for NASA’s Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams (NExT) Challenge. GVSU’s Astro Anchors were one of 12 university teams from across the country that earned the opportunity to take part by designing an adjustable tool cart handle that allows astronauts could use to easily traverse the lunar surface on an upcoming Artemis III mission. In the 2025 Fall Semester, GV’s design passed NASA’s strict requirements, and the team spent the Winter semester building and testing their creation.
“I’m extremely proud of this year’s team” said Sanjivan Manoharan, PhD, Padnos College associate professor of mechanical engineering and team advisor. “Their ability to find a workable solution to the challenge is a great tribute to both the team members and the education that the Padnos College of Engineering provides.”
Team lead Cebrina Kader says this project was a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially after growing up with a mother who was obsessed with NASA.
“NASA is the definition of thinking outside the box,” Kader said. “And watching our design be tested and potentially used by actual astronauts made the whole experience very real and very exciting.”
Manoharan says one key to GV’s continued success is that PCE focuses not just on engineering theory, but on putting knowledge to use.
“Initially some students are intimidated by working on a space project,” said Manoharan. “By focusing on and applying simple engineering concepts, they build confidence, stay focused on the task and are more likely to complete a successful project with fewer problems.””
Kader says it was thrilling to see that come to life.
“We were reminded to always think about the astronaut and we know that NASA could see how we took that into account in our work,” she said.
As Kader prepares to graduate this summer and move into the next phase of her life, she says she’ll remember this project forever and not just for the chance to work with astronauts.
“Getting positive feedback from NASA really drives home how important the work of an engineer is and we were proud to represent GVSU on the national stage,” she said. “I’m confident the younger team members who took part this year will continue to lead us to success in the years to come.”