Prize Roundup: July 4-6, 2009 - Astrobotic in RegEx, Multiple Lunar Lander Challenge Updates, More NewSpace 2009 Prize Activity

Astrobotic creates robot to win NASA Moon excavation competition - Astrobotic Technology, Inc (press release) -

Astrobotic Technology Inc. announced today that it has begun testing a robot designed to win a NASA competition for excavating simulated Moon dirt. ... The Astrobotic robot, developed in collaboration with the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, is about a yard on each side and two feet tall, with a laser scanner at its crown to measure distances inside the 13 ft by 13 ft competition area.

Here's the Moon Diggers site. It includes some video of their robot Sandra. You can see where Sandra got her name. It's a good name; I called my cat Sandy (officially "Sandstorm") because of her fur colors, fast wind-like movement, and paws that would get in my eyes like sand when she wanted me to wake up.

There are a bunch of Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge updates to report:

Unreasonable update - RLV News

TrueZer0 reports that Scott Zeeb will be working at Scaled Composites.

Tales from the Melting Pot: Scott Zeeb to Scaled Composites - The Launch Pad uses Scott's move as an opportunity to discuss the collaborative spirit and cross-pollination of many innovation prize teams.

Long hover flight by Armadillo vehicle - RLV News

In my previous post, I pointed out as many prize-related events at NewSpace 2009 as I could find. I already see that I missed one:

VidVision Contest Lunch - Saturday, July 18. Event will offer opportunity to support the 2010 VidVision Contest & view/discuss last year's winning videos

Space Elevator Day - Space Elevator Blog - This goes into more detail on the theme of one of the days at the conference.

@NextGiantLeap - @glxp Just sent in our NewSpace Heinlein BP... and finished making travel arrangements.