Synergy Moon welcomes a new working group to the team to develop our Tesla Prospector rover. The team is comprised of mostly senior undergraduates with a high drive for research, and several faculty advisors.

Chris Heistand is working with electronics and design. Chris, a senior computer science major at the University of Maryland, is leading the group to develop the Tesla Prospector rover. After his undergrad he is going to be a Operations Analyst in the United States Air Force.

Patrick Feng is working on radiation shielding, looking into the use of Boron-polymers as the main shell of the robot. Patrick is a rising senior with a double major in Biochemistry and Neurobiology & Physiology with a minor in Computer Science. He is also working on camera systems for the lunar rover. In the future, he hopes to get into medical school, however, in his current spare time, he likes to make the impossible possible.

Derrick Wrieden is researching video codecs, and is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland College Park, with a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a minor in Astronomy. With his Astronomy minor, Derrick has taken several courses about Stars and Stellar Systems and Solar System Astronomy.

Scott Nussel is researching moon conditions. He is a senior undergraduate student at George Mason University. He is currently on a full-ride scholarship from the United States Air Force. He is finishing up his last two semesters in his mathematics degree with an array of applied mathematics classes. Once completed, he will be commissioned as a 2d Lt Combat Systems Officer for the USAF.

Chris Murphy is working on heating and cooling of the robot. He has worked as a ASE certified mechanic and is in the SAE Terps racing program at University of Maryland. He has a good understanding of the design process and his background has allowed him to develop solid prototyping skills. He is a senior mechanical engineering student at the University of Maryland.