GHCDS NASA HUNCH students attend the first Regional Caribbean Competition in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Their travel was made possible by the Puerto Rico Space Grant. It was an honor to represent the USVI at this inaugural event.
Saturday, March 14, 2026, was the Critical Design Review (CDR) for four of the GHCDS NASA HUNCH teams. The projects were presented at the University of Puerto Rico Molecular Sciences Research Center. There were a total of 14 teams presenting their projects to NASA engineers/scientists/researchers. A selection will be made by NASA for teams to represent the Caribbean Region for final presentations in Houston, Texas, on April 28 at the Johnson Space Flight Center. One of our teams has been selected to represent the Caribbean Region for Design and Prototype.
Representing GHCDS:
- Caribbean Representatives: Tristan Samuel and Elias Ruderfer - Design and Prototype - Wicking Wonders: Optically Quantifying Fluid Flow in Microgravity Through Porous Substrates in a 2U Nanolab
- Vedant Mittal - Design and Prototype - Collapsible Hygiene Stall for the Deep Space Habitat (teammates that were unable to attend: Mycal Marshall & Alex McCants)
Two other projects were displayed, and a video presentation by the teams was presented to NASA engineers/scientists/researchers.
- Cuyler Roberts, Eric Sommer, and Teague Gleason - Design and Protype - Chess from Trash
- Second Place STEM fair recipients and ISEF representatives: Ella Evora and Maddie Donnelly - Lunar Living Smarter Thinking - ASCEND: Adaptive System for Crew Emotional & Neurological Detection
Sunday, March 15, 2026, was the first Caribbean Regional Culinary Competition for two of GHCDS NASA HUNCH teams. The culinary theme this year was tacos. Prior to cooking, teams researched, practiced, and honed skills to integrate the strict nutritional requirements for astronauts. Maria Fogue from Maria’s Cantina was a guest speaker and expert for our teams. The culinary recipes were made and taste-tested at Parque de las Ciencias, Bayamon. Teams had one hour to cook and prepare their tacos for the judges. The judges comprised local Puerto Rican chefs, NASA representatives, and a NASA astronaut! There were 13 teams competing (four from St. Croix) for the opportunity to have their taco recipe made and sent to the International Space Station for astronauts to enjoy. Good efforts were made by all teams, but two teams from Puerto Rico with Caribbean flair in their recipes took the opportunity to compete at the next competition in Houston, Texas.
Representing GHCDS:
- Saidah Banwaree and Annabelle Plourde - Team USVI - Oven-baked Wahoo Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Dominick Hay and Jumalie John - Team Crucian Coconuts - Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos **Jumalie was not able to attend but Vedant Mittal assisted Dominick with preparation during competition.
