CALIFORNIA, USA: Former overseas Filipino worker Anthony “Tony” Mendoza has reached the finals of the NASA ORBIT Challenge with Team MEKAH, a student engineering group from Santa Ana College in California.
Mendoza is the team’s CAD design and system modelling specialist. He is also the only Filipino member of the group.
Team MEKAH was among only 11 finalists selected from around 100 schools across the United States.
Team Receives $15,000 for Houston Finals
The team received $15,000 in NASA funding after advancing to the final stage.
The funding helped the students improve their project and travel to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for the July 14 to 17 culminating event.
Mendoza joined Santa Ana College students My Le, Arthur Alcocer, and Michael Trang, along with University of California San Diego student Ken Khant.
The group had earlier lost in another NASA competition. However, the students used the feedback to improve their work and enter the ORBIT Challenge.
Project Checks Astronauts After Spacewalks
Team MEKAH created Project THRESHOLD, a safety system designed to check astronauts and their surroundings after an extravehicular activity, commonly known as a spacewalk.
The project includes two robotic devices named Morpheus and Aether.
Morpheus checks an astronaut’s condition after returning from space activity. Aether measures temperature and environmental conditions after an area has been repressurised.
The system is designed to support safer decisions during future lunar and orbital missions.
Gulf Experience Helps Shape NASA Design
Mendoza previously worked for about 13 years in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as a mechanical and MEP designer.
His work included HVAC systems, wastewater treatment layouts, technical coordination, and computer-aided design.
He said this real-world experience helped him prepare accurate 2D and 3D models for the NASA project.
Mendoza began working after high school because his family could not afford college. A short AutoCAD course in 2009 opened the door to his design career.
At age 40, he left his Gulf career to continue his studies in the United States.
How Filipinos Can Support Team MEKAH
Team MEKAH is also competing for the People’s Choice Award.
Public voting is scheduled to open on July 17, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Houston, which is 6:00 PM in Dubai and 10:00 PM in Manila on the same date.
Supporters should check the official competition portal at NASAORBIT.org for the voting link, instructions, and deadline.
