Dermot Gethings was 16 when Nasa picked him to watch the Apollo 17 launch alongside Neil Armstrong.
Barack Obama awarded the Apollo 11 software engineer with the America's highest civilian honour in 2016.
Colin Pillinger died believing that Beagle 2 had not landed, and now his work is being celebrated around the UK.
Pioneering computer scientist led the development of the software for Nasa's Apollo mission and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The students will head to Florida to compete against university teams from Australia, India and the US.
The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral with two Americans, a Russian and a Canadian who will spend up to six months aboard the International Space Station.
The US space agency says ancient rocks at Clachtoll have similarities to those on the Red Planet.
Where do America's X-plane projects fit in an era of cheap drones?
The Isle of Man Mars Society is urging politicians to sign an international space exploration agreement.
