In Depth: NASA Techrise and Wisk Air Taxi

In segment one, Hal is joined by Anh Nguyen, Technical Lead for NASA Techrise. That is a competition for middle school and high school students to submit experiments for the third Techrise student challenge. 

Winners will have $1,500 to create their experiment, assisted by engineers, for deployment on a NASA rocket lander or high-altitude balloon.

The deadline is coming up on November 13.  Submissions can go to futureengineers.org/nasatechrise.

In segment two, Hal speaks to a student group from Connecticut who was one of last year’s winners of the Techrise challenge.  

They show Hal the project they created for that event, and what being a part of the program meant to them.

In segment three, Hal talks with Becky Tanner, the Chief Marketing Officer for Wisk Aero. Tanner tells Hal about their four-passenger, self-flying vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.  

The Wisk air taxi is a cross between a plane and a helicopter and will help to make transportation in urban areas more convenient and predictable.   

The air taxi is in testing now but could be implemented in about a decade if it gets FAA approval.