Kobie Boykins facts for kids
Kobie Boykins is a super smart mechanical engineer who works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. He helps design amazing machines that explore space! In 2013, he won a special award called the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal.
Kobie Boykins designed the power systems for the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. He also designed parts for the Mars rover Curiosity. Today, he leads the teams that control Curiosity's movement and sensing tools. Kobie loves to inspire young people. In 2003, he was part of NASA's M-Team, teaching students about jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math. He also gives talks worldwide for National Geographic about exploring Mars.
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Kobie Boykins' Early Life and Education
Kobie Boykins grew up in Nebraska and went to Omaha Northwest High School. After high school, he moved to New York for college. He studied mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
While still at RPI, Kobie got an amazing offer to work at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). After graduating, he joined JPL and started working on exciting space projects. At JPL, he met Hannah Kim. They got married and now have two children. When he's not exploring Mars, Kobie enjoys playing hockey at least once a week.
Exploring Mars: Kobie's NASA Career
After college, Kobie Boykins started his career at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He has been working there since 1996, helping with missions from Earth to Mars.
Kobie and his team designed the solar power systems for the Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity. These systems are like wings on the rover. They collect sunlight to make electricity. This power helps the rovers move and do their scientific work on Mars. The rovers also have rechargeable batteries for when the sun isn't shining, like at night. The solar panels can make about 140 watts of power when it's sunny. The rover needs about 100 watts to move around.
How the Mars Rovers Kept Going
The solar power system Kobie's team designed was incredibly good. The Mars rover Opportunity landed on January 25, 2004. It was only expected to work for about 90 days. But thanks to the strong design, it kept working for many years! It lasted more than 20 times longer than planned, exploring Mars for a very long time.
Kobie also helped design parts for the Mars rover Curiosity. These parts are called actuators. They help the rover move its arms and tools for research. Today, Kobie is in charge of the teams that control Curiosity's movement and how it senses things on Mars. He has also worked on other big projects, like the Mars Pathfinder mission and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission. As of 2018, Kobie Boykins is still at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working on new projects to learn more about space.
Inspiring Others: Awards and Outreach
Kobie Boykins has done a lot to inspire people about space and science. In 2002, he joined "Marsapalooza." This was a public tour that visited five cities. Kobie helped teach people about the Mars Exploration Project. He was a role model, encouraging the next generation of explorers.
In 2003, he was part of NASA's M-Team. They traveled around the country, talking to students about jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). He also gives talks internationally for National Geographic about exploring Mars.
In 2006, Kobie joined another teaching program called the JASONProject Expedition, "Mysteries of Earth and Mars." He shared his knowledge with students and teachers all over the world. In 2013, Kobie Boykins received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal for his amazing work.
