Young Scientists: 10-Year-Old Boys Impress With Space Vacuum Cleaner Design Using Recycled Hubble Telescope

A couple of 10-year-old boys have impressed judges at the ExploraVision science competition when they presented their design for a space vacuum cleaner using the Hubble Telescope. The young scientists used Lego parts for their prototype and called this the Hubble NEST or Next Elimination of Space Trash.

Oliver Blaise and Leonard Gu participated in the grade 4 to 6 category of ExploraVision science fair, which was sponsored by Toshiba and organized by the National Science Teacher Association (NSTA). Though still just an idea, the 10-year-old boys received $10,000 savings bond each for their design, per Business Insider. The concept behind their prototype was a hit with the judges.

Oliver Blaise and Leonard Gu have been looking for ways to remove debris and junk that have been adrift in outer space for years. These come from spacecraft or satellites that have either disintegrated or are no longer useful. The 10-year-old boys call these space trash as a serious problem that needs immediate attention. NASA reports that it actually keep tracks of 500,000 space junk around the Earth.

Oliver Blaise and Leonard Gu decided that perhaps using the Hubble Telescope in creating a space vacuum cleaner would work. The boys learned that NASA is set to decommission this after 25 years and they recommend recycling its parts to save on cost.

The 10-year-old boys also designed a drone that will be paired up with the Hubble NEST, which will grab the space trash the NEST has to collect. Their research work was presented to the press last June 10, along with the other projects, per Business Wire.

The Science Guy, Bill Nye, hailed young scientists like Oliver Blaise and Leonard Gu, who participated in the competition. He also commended STEM teachers for honing the kids' interest. "We need to have innovation, we need to have new ideas and ways of doing things, especially with regard to renewable energy," he said, per Fox News.