Press Releases

Students Take One Giant Leap for The Art Institute of Houston with NASA Partnership

Students at The Art Institute of Houston received some out of this world experience through a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Art & Design and Media Arts & Animation programs worked with NASA to create digital 3D models of NASA equipment. These models will be used in NASA presentations on TV and online. 

NASA approached the campus with this opportunity and Media Arts Director Ola Gardner rolled the program out to her students during the Summer 2015 quarter. She facilitated student portfolio submissions, selecting the top portfolios to send to NASA. From there, NASA selected five students to participate in an internship and two students to create the model of its PLSS Oxygen Tank, which can be seen on the back of the space suits. 

During the fall 2015 quarter, three students worked on models of a launch pad, new rockets and boosters. In January 2016, students embarked on the most ambitious project yet as they developed models of the International Space Station. 

Throughout the modeling process, students worked closely with NASA representatives, visiting the NASA campus in Houston and getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. NASA representatives also visited The Art Institute of Houston to provide feedback on the projects.