Space Prize Roundup: After the Lunar Lander and Power Beaming Challenges, Student Prize Resources, More

Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge

@NGLLC09: Masten Space Systems post-prize plans, in Aviation Week: http://bit.ly/12zbvB

From that article: ... the company will use the $1.15 million it won by taking first place in the Level 2 lander competition and second place in Level 1 to upgrade its Xoie (pronounced "Zoey") vehicle for higher and faster flight ... The next steps, Masten said, will be to devise an aeroshell to permit faster flight and - eventually - re-entry, and to build a new engine that can deliver 2,500 pounds of thrust, versus the 750-pound rating on the Xoie engine.

A wild finish for the Lunar Lander Challenge - The Space Review

@glxp: The quick #NGLLC highlight reel showed at last week's award ceremony is now on YouTube! http://bit.ly/10WayS

@ikluft: my photos of Washington DC trip w/ MSS team for NASA awards for Lunar Lander Challenge http://is.gd/4RkZC

@ikluft: my photos of Masten Space Systems L2 flights in Lunar Lander Challenge on Oct 28-30 http://is.gd/4RkXS

Google Lunar X PRIZE

@Pomerantz: RT @glxp: Here's some great news: #GLXP Team Astrobotic picks up ANSYS as a sponsor! http://bit.ly/3C40us

Bad weather postpones launch of first Romanian rocket - Romanian Times

Prototype fab update #1 - Team FREDNET Lander

@Team_Selenokhod: Laboratory of innovative radiosystems from Research center of Novgorod State University - our new partner http://www.novsu.ru/english/about/

Space Elevator Games - Power Beaming

Highlights from 2009 Competition - LaserMotive

@LaserMotive: Media interview requests are coming in fast from around the world!

And it's over... - USST

Winner in Contest Involving Space Elevator - New York Times

Awards Ceremony - Space Elevator Blog

Contemplating 5 m/s - The Space Elevator Games - In addition to some thoughts about the 3 final teams should they choose to compete next year, this post has some information about the competition next year:

... the next round of the power beaming challenge, which will only have the 5 m/s benchmark level. ... Our job next time, however, is much easier – we have the racetrack stored in a box, we have the right crew, the right venue – we know how much it costs, and how long it takes to do. We’ll be making small changes in the rulebook and setup to facilitate smoother operations, but otherwise – see you all in the next round, date TBA.

Other Prizes

@Pomerantz: RT @ikluft: White House office of Science & Tech Policy blog mentions MSS, #ngllc "A Phenomenal Week for Prizes!" http://is.gd/4Rc0m

In addition to mentioning some X PRIZE and Centennial Challenge news, the OSTP post points out the DARPA Network Challenge, described as

a competition that will explore the roles the Internet and social networking play in the timely communication, wide-area team-building, and urgent mobilization required to solve broad-scope, time-critical problems. The challenge is to be the first to submit the locations of 10 moored, 8-foot, red, weather balloons at 10 fixed locations in the continental United States. The balloons will be in readily accessible locations and visible from nearby roads.

AUVSI Student Competitions - Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International - The site look has been updated, and dates and times are given for next year's competitions.

Singularity University, Day Two: Peter Diamandis Thinks Big - Wired

MiniSpaceWorld update - Space for All - It's interesting that one of the worlds includes an "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard", which might be considered a fairly obscure reference in today's movie and TV driven SF market. It looks pretty much like what I'd imagined, too.

@paulsrobotics: Moonraker is now on display in the #WPI Campus Center for the next couple weeks! Go check it out! http://fb.me/34WAux8

Scholarships for Space Studies - Out of the Cradle covers numerous scholarships, competitions, and awards for students.

The Teaching with Contests.com site has lots of information about student prizes. Here are some example posts from the last few days:

2010 Thacher Environmental Research Contest - ... awards cash prizes to secondary school students (grades 9-12) whose projects demonstrate the best use of satellites and other geospatial technologies or data to study Earth. Remote sensing, aerial photography, GIS and GPS are included in the eligible geospatial technologies.

Alan Shepard Technology in Education Awards

Team America Rocketry Challenge

KIDS’ SCIENCE CHALLENGE! 2010 - One of the categories is Sports on Mars.