Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Prize Update: June 28-30 (Part 1?) - Regolith Challenges, Singularity U, More Twitter, Human Space Flight Commission Advice

I've had some "Automotive Challenges" of my own recently, so I'm a bit behind. There's a lot more going on that I hope to post on soon ...

Regolith_Chal - Just posted the updated rules and team agreement to http://regolith.csewi.org/r... Check them out!

One regolith challenge deserves another:

KSC to Host Student Lunar Regolith Challenge - Parabolic Arc - The purpose of the Lunar Regolith Excavator Student Competition is to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in a competitive environment which may result in innovative ideas and solutions that could be applied to actual lunar excavation for NASA.

Lunar Regolith Competition - Excavator Project Support - NASA Kennedy Space Center Higher Education Programs ESMD Space Grant Project

Here are some more entries I'll add to the Twitter list when I get a chance. They have prize connections:

ac_charania - http://planetarydefense.blogspot.com/
SoldTheMoon - David Gump - http://www.astrobotictech.com/ - private-sector space exploration

CSF submits policy paper to Augustine panel - RLV News - The main focus is on commercial transportation for ISS including crew. Here are some excerpts related to prizes:

... Likewise, NASA’s successful Centennial Challenges program, which awards prizes for technology development, illustrates another innovative procurement strategy that leverages government dollars and focuses on results. ... With the upcoming retirement of the Space Shuttle, the visibility of NASA’s human spaceflight program and, therefore, public engagement is at risk of dropping significantly. The strong public visibility of commercial spaceflight efforts, such as the Ansari X PRIZE winning flights of the private spacecraft SpaceShipOne which garnered over 5 billion media impressions, suggests that NASA has a unique opportunity to leverage these private sector talents for public outreach.

The paper is on behalf of organizations in the entrepreneurial space field. Several of them have a history of prize participation, such as Armadillo Aerospace, Masten Space Systems, and the X PRIZE Foundation.

A number of people with prize connections are involved with launching Singularity University.

@PeterDiamandis -

Singularity University is launched along with 22nd session of ISU! Governor Arnold have a great speech.
Ray and I are having fun taking photos with SU students on NASA lawn. singulsrityI
hearing the stories of the 40 Singularity University students, they are truely brilliant and inspirational.
BBQ with SU students, staff, Pete Worden, Harry Kloor and many new friends...
amazing day! welcoming 40 SU and 130 ISU students from 30 countries. very fun!
Students & faculty converging on Mountain View for launch of #singularityu (Singularity University) for the next 9 weeks. I arrive tomorrow!

@Doug_Comstock -

ISU and Singularity Univ. opening was great - especially Bella Gaia performance by Kenji Williams. Check it out at www.bellagaia.com.
I am at the opening for Int'l Space Univ. and Singularity Univ. in Mtn View, CA. Great students and lots of excitement!

This is from the Moon Twibe:

Bob_Richards: We've launched the ISU SSP'09 & Singularity Univ GSP-09 (#singularityU) programs! A microcosm of humanity at it's best.

Bob_Richards: Picking up @PeterDiamandis at SJC then straight 2 NASA Ames 2 meet our amazing ISU & Singularity U students. A great day!

Bob_Richards: Enjoying a tranquil Mountain View retreat working on Odyssey Moon plans while ISU&SU students arrive NASA Ames. T-2 days!