Here are some more Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundups from Nick Azer:
GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE ROUNDUP #6
GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE ROUNDUP #7
GOOGLE LUNAR X PRIZE ROUNDUP #8 - MyMoon
The Google Lunar X PRIZE has brought back an online forum: Google Lunar X PRIZE forums
Here is a sample conversation there: Alright Gentle(wo)men, place your bets!
The Ardusat Kickstarter succeeded, and now Team Prometheus set up a ChipIn site for their Ardusat Test Launch.
NRL Supports 8th Annual CanSat Competition - Naval Research Laboratory
2012 Zero Robotics Tourney Kicks Off Saturday! - NASA Television video on YouTube
Challenge.gov: Two Years and 200 Prizes Later - The White House Blog
Space Florida and NanoRacks host ISS research competition - NewSpace Watch - Here is the competition site: International Space Station Research Competition
Weekly Update 8.30.2012 - Space Florida again mentions NASA's RFI on the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge, and suggests that NASA might move ahead with the challenge rules in October.
Weekly Update 9.07.2012 - Space Florida mentions the possibility of TV coverage for the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge
Teenagers Worldwide Invited to Innovate Commercially-viable Products, Services - Spirit of Innovation Challenge:
The top five teams from each category will travel to the Conrad Foundation’s annual Innovation Summit,
hosted at NASA-Johnson Space Center, April 10 – 13, 2013, where they
present their innovations and vie for $10,000 next-step grants and
commercialization opportunities.
The Back of the Napkin Challenge - Top Gun Maine
NASA sponsors student contest for naming an asteroid - Space for All - The asteroid is the target for the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Centennial Challenges: After the Challenge - NASA Centennial Challenges gives some examples of what happened to competitors after the competition. The link is from Peter Homer, one of the Astronaut Glove Challenge winners.
Homer Hickam to attend October Sky Festival and Reach for the Stars rocketry competition - Space for All
UAV Demonstrates Utility Of Laser Power - Aviation Week & Space Technology
Galactic Unite awards first scholarships - Space for All
NASA360: Robots, Rocks, and Rovers Premiere! - Sample Return Robot Challenge - In addition to the NASA 360 shout-out, there is a hint of more news coming soon.
Showing posts with label Beam Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beam Power. Show all posts
Saturday, September 08, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Prize Roundup: Strong Tether Status, Sikorsky Challenge, NSF Video Contest, Lunabotics 2013, More
The most recent update at the Nanosatellite Launch Challenge site at Space Florida discusses the NASA Request for Information I mentioned in my last post on some potential big changes to the challenge: Weekly Update 8.14.2012
Video Contest: Graduate Research Fellows Creating the Future - National Science Foundation
NASA'S 2013 Lunabotics Competition Open For Registration - SpaceRef
Space elevator ideas rising again - Cosmic Log includes the status of the Strong Tether Challenge in this overview. Although the NASA Centennial Challenge expired, ISEC is still interested in the competition. From the Space Elevator Blog post from a couple weeks ago Space Elevator Conference registration deadline approaching… :
ISEC is funding the prize purse for this year’s Tether Strength Competition and the rules have been updated to lower the bar a bit and increase the chances that someone will win the competition this year. Competition rules are now available on the conference web site. One or two teams are interested in competing this year and we’re working to get them registered for the challenge.
However, according to the Competition rules link above,
The Strong Tether Challenge will not be held at the 2012 Space Elevator Conference and is postponed until next year. We were not able get the competition organized in time to allow participants to adequately prepare for the conference. However, we are now prepared to have the competition organized and announced well before next year's conference and also have time to look for additional sponsors to increase funding for the prize purse.
Engineering TV Video from AUVSI on Laser-Powered Stalker - LaserMotive, the winner of the other NASA Centennial Challenge presented as a Space Elevator competition, the Beam Power/Climber Challenge, shows its work with Lockheed Martin.
Conrad Foundation News, August Newsletter, 2012 - Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards
The Sikorsky Entrepreneurial Challenge - Sikorsky - Although Sikorsky is focused on helicopters, some of the current challenges are relevant to spacecraft, too:
NewSpace Competition a Potential Model for Canada - Commercial Space
Video Contest: Graduate Research Fellows Creating the Future - National Science Foundation
NASA'S 2013 Lunabotics Competition Open For Registration - SpaceRef
Space elevator ideas rising again - Cosmic Log includes the status of the Strong Tether Challenge in this overview. Although the NASA Centennial Challenge expired, ISEC is still interested in the competition. From the Space Elevator Blog post from a couple weeks ago Space Elevator Conference registration deadline approaching… :
ISEC is funding the prize purse for this year’s Tether Strength Competition and the rules have been updated to lower the bar a bit and increase the chances that someone will win the competition this year. Competition rules are now available on the conference web site. One or two teams are interested in competing this year and we’re working to get them registered for the challenge.
However, according to the Competition rules link above,
The Strong Tether Challenge will not be held at the 2012 Space Elevator Conference and is postponed until next year. We were not able get the competition organized in time to allow participants to adequately prepare for the conference. However, we are now prepared to have the competition organized and announced well before next year's conference and also have time to look for additional sponsors to increase funding for the prize purse.
Engineering TV Video from AUVSI on Laser-Powered Stalker - LaserMotive, the winner of the other NASA Centennial Challenge presented as a Space Elevator competition, the Beam Power/Climber Challenge, shows its work with Lockheed Martin.
Conrad Foundation News, August Newsletter, 2012 - Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards
The Sikorsky Entrepreneurial Challenge - Sikorsky - Although Sikorsky is focused on helicopters, some of the current challenges are relevant to spacecraft, too:
- How can your business concept enable safe, high-speed manned and unmanned vehicle operations in complex, obstacle-rich environments?
- How can your business concept utilize vertical flight to better serve or create new markets?
- How can your business concept introduce new approaches to preserve, stabilize or heal damaged systems and structures?
- How can your business concept reduce the cost and time of the design-build-test-qualify process for new complex vehicles?
- How can your business concept realize cost savings and lead-time reductions by using 3-D printing and additive manufacturing to produce or maintain components in vehicles?
NewSpace Competition a Potential Model for Canada - Commercial Space
Friday, July 13, 2012
Prize Roundup: Night Rover Update, International Rocketry, Jobs Prize, More
An X PRIZE for Jobs: Can We Radically Reinvent How We Create, Finance and Find Jobs in America? - Huffington Post - Peter Diamandis asks "what would your rules be for an X PRIZE intended to incentivize new ways to create, finance and find Jobs in America?" You can answer at Design Your Own Jobs X PRIZE.
Hiring Entrepreneurs, Not Employees: Incentive Prizes Foster Disruptive Innovations - Forbes
French Students Win 2012 International Rocketry Challenge - AIA
The Night Rover Challenge website has gotten an overhaul. Here are some blog posts and upcoming events from them:
The Future is a Funny Thing, or Why I wanted to launch the Night Rover Challenge - Joshua Neubert
Welcome to the Youth Ambassador Program - Shannon and Mikayla
Challenge America Summit: Public Forum - October 19-20, San Francisco - The panel includes Anousheh Ansari, Cristin Dorgelo (currently Assistant Director for Grand Challenges at the OSTP), and other prominent figures.
Videos: "Why Explore Space?" - Space for All
Ex-Google VIP Joins Private Moon Race Team - Space.com
Comic-Con fan gets Lynx ride via Warner Brothers and The Big Bang Theory - RLV News
Successful 48+ Hour Laser-Powered UAS Demonstration - LaserMotive
Here's a short twitter conversation that may be of interest:
@FRCteam348: NASAPrize you guys should announce next years challenges soon! Don't you know some people look forward to these things!?! #omgrobots #nerdy
@NASAPrize: FRCteam348 Patience :) Won't be long now!
Hiring Entrepreneurs, Not Employees: Incentive Prizes Foster Disruptive Innovations - Forbes
French Students Win 2012 International Rocketry Challenge - AIA
The Night Rover Challenge website has gotten an overhaul. Here are some blog posts and upcoming events from them:
The Future is a Funny Thing, or Why I wanted to launch the Night Rover Challenge - Joshua Neubert
Welcome to the Youth Ambassador Program - Shannon and Mikayla
Challenge America Summit: Public Forum - October 19-20, San Francisco - The panel includes Anousheh Ansari, Cristin Dorgelo (currently Assistant Director for Grand Challenges at the OSTP), and other prominent figures.
Videos: "Why Explore Space?" - Space for All
Ex-Google VIP Joins Private Moon Race Team - Space.com
Comic-Con fan gets Lynx ride via Warner Brothers and The Big Bang Theory - RLV News
Successful 48+ Hour Laser-Powered UAS Demonstration - LaserMotive
Here's a short twitter conversation that may be of interest:
@FRCteam348: NASAPrize you guys should announce next years challenges soon! Don't you know some people look forward to these things!?!
@NASAPrize: FRCteam348 Patience :) Won't be long now!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Crowdfunding Space Prize Teams
As I mentioned in my previous post, NanoSatisfi is funding a cubesat project with a number of prize aspects with a Kickstarter project. By the time of that post, they had already achieved their original funding goal, and were attempting to reach $75,000 by their deadline of July 15 for additional satellite capabilities (possibly a pair of separate cubesats or a single 2CU cubesat). This is just an update to note that they are now up to $82,453, and thus have reached their second funding goal. Here's an update from them on what that means: Update #8: We are deeply humbled and inspired by you!.
During the Climber/Beam Power NASA Centennial Challenge, I often covered the Kansas City Space Pirates team, one of the most prominent teams in that competition. Now the KCSP team is moving on to a new record-breaking challenge, to keep a small plane flying for 48 hours using beamed laser power, in the spirit of what Climber team LaserMotive achieved. They are using an Indiegogo Fundraiser to raise funding for this project. As of this writing, they are at $2,442 with a goal of $6,000. Here is the actual fundraising page: Dawn of Laser Powered Flight.
Google Lunar X PRIZE team Omega Envoy is using Kickstarter to raise funds for a CNC milling machine: Earthrise Space Inc. Launches Kickstarter Project - Omega Envoy GLXP Teams page. They have quite a way to go to reach their goal of $200,000. Many of the funding rewards involve scale models of their lunar rover made using the CNC machine, but the biggest reward, for $10,000 or more pledged, includes having your DNA taken to the Moon. Naturally that last bit assumes they succeed in getting their rover to the Moon. Even if they don't, the highest pledge level includes a lot of other unique rewards. Here is the Kickstarter page: Student Built Lunar Rover Prototype for Google Lunar X PRIZE. This is also covered at PopSci: For $10,000 on Kickstarter, Google Lunar X-Prize Contender Will Land Your DNA on the Moon.
Final Frontier Design's spacesuit kickstart a success - RLV News on a Kickstarter success for one of the winners of the Astronaut Glove NASA Centennial Challenge
During the Climber/Beam Power NASA Centennial Challenge, I often covered the Kansas City Space Pirates team, one of the most prominent teams in that competition. Now the KCSP team is moving on to a new record-breaking challenge, to keep a small plane flying for 48 hours using beamed laser power, in the spirit of what Climber team LaserMotive achieved. They are using an Indiegogo Fundraiser to raise funding for this project. As of this writing, they are at $2,442 with a goal of $6,000. Here is the actual fundraising page: Dawn of Laser Powered Flight.
Google Lunar X PRIZE team Omega Envoy is using Kickstarter to raise funds for a CNC milling machine: Earthrise Space Inc. Launches Kickstarter Project - Omega Envoy GLXP Teams page. They have quite a way to go to reach their goal of $200,000. Many of the funding rewards involve scale models of their lunar rover made using the CNC machine, but the biggest reward, for $10,000 or more pledged, includes having your DNA taken to the Moon. Naturally that last bit assumes they succeed in getting their rover to the Moon. Even if they don't, the highest pledge level includes a lot of other unique rewards. Here is the Kickstarter page: Student Built Lunar Rover Prototype for Google Lunar X PRIZE. This is also covered at PopSci: For $10,000 on Kickstarter, Google Lunar X-Prize Contender Will Land Your DNA on the Moon.
Final Frontier Design's spacesuit kickstart a success - RLV News on a Kickstarter success for one of the winners of the Astronaut Glove NASA Centennial Challenge
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Space Prize Roundup: SSR Approaches, Space Pirates Strike Back, Public Sector Prizes Forum, More
I have several updates on NASA Centennial Challenges:
Garver To Attend NASA $1.5 Million Robot Competition June 16 - NASA on the NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge
The NASA Centennial Challenges are now on Facebook: NASA Centennial Challenges. They have a few pictures related to the SSR Challenge, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more over the next few days.
Space Florida Announces Nano-Sat Launch Challenge Logo Design Contest - Space Florida
Space Elevator conference registration now open! - The Space Elevator Blog - The conference, to be held at the Seattle Museum of Flight, includes the Strong Tether Centennial Challenge and a robotic climber competition for kids.
The Return of the Kansas City Space Pirates - The Space Elevator Blog - It sounds like the KCSP team is going to make this year's Space Elevator conference even more interesting. Hmmm ... I wonder how LaserMotive will respond? See more information at the KCSP blog 2012- New Mission: The Dawn of Laser Powered Flight
FAQ-What are the uses for wireless power via laser? - LaserMotive
Here's an article that isn't really about Armadillo Aerospace, another former Centennial Challenge team, but that nevertheless has some Armadillo "ambiance": 'Doom 3 BFG Edition' will deliver the full Doom back catalog plus new levels
Yesterday, the Collaborative Innovation: Public Sector Prizes was held by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Case Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. Here are a couple related articles:
Unleashing Innovation and Deepening Democracy Through Prizes - The White House Blog
How the White House is aiming the X Prize model at big problems - CNET interviews Cristin Dorgelo, formerly of the X PRIZE Foundation and now Assistant Director of Grand Challenges in the OSTP
To round things out, I'll catch up on some other prize news:
One moonshot team buys up another - Cosmic Log on Moon Express and Next Giant Leap
Landsat Contest Offers View of Local Landscape Change from Space - NASA - The contest is at "My American Landscape" Contest: A Space Chronicle of Change.
Garver To Attend NASA $1.5 Million Robot Competition June 16 - NASA on the NASA-WPI Sample Return Robot Centennial Challenge
The NASA Centennial Challenges are now on Facebook: NASA Centennial Challenges. They have a few pictures related to the SSR Challenge, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more over the next few days.
Space Florida Announces Nano-Sat Launch Challenge Logo Design Contest - Space Florida
Space Elevator conference registration now open! - The Space Elevator Blog - The conference, to be held at the Seattle Museum of Flight, includes the Strong Tether Centennial Challenge and a robotic climber competition for kids.
The Return of the Kansas City Space Pirates - The Space Elevator Blog - It sounds like the KCSP team is going to make this year's Space Elevator conference even more interesting. Hmmm ... I wonder how LaserMotive will respond? See more information at the KCSP blog 2012- New Mission: The Dawn of Laser Powered Flight
FAQ-What are the uses for wireless power via laser? - LaserMotive
Here's an article that isn't really about Armadillo Aerospace, another former Centennial Challenge team, but that nevertheless has some Armadillo "ambiance": 'Doom 3 BFG Edition' will deliver the full Doom back catalog plus new levels
Yesterday, the Collaborative Innovation: Public Sector Prizes was held by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Case Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. Here are a couple related articles:
Unleashing Innovation and Deepening Democracy Through Prizes - The White House Blog
How the White House is aiming the X Prize model at big problems - CNET interviews Cristin Dorgelo, formerly of the X PRIZE Foundation and now Assistant Director of Grand Challenges in the OSTP
To round things out, I'll catch up on some other prize news:
One moonshot team buys up another - Cosmic Log on Moon Express and Next Giant Leap
Landsat Contest Offers View of Local Landscape Change from Space - NASA - The contest is at "My American Landscape" Contest: A Space Chronicle of Change.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Space Prize Roundup: University Rover Challenge, Space Apps, CanSat, High Altitude Astrobiology, More
The University Rover Challenge is scheduled to start on May 31. You can find a lot more information on the URC Teams page, which links to the sites for all of the teams. Google Lunar X PRIZE team JURBAN is one of the teams through Johns Hopkins University.
Kevin Sloan interview on the University Rover Challenge - The Space Show
OSTP Sees NASA As Leader In Offering Prizes - NASA Watch
The 6 Space App Challenge winners that want to change the world - DVICE.com
Announcing the Opening of the 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition: Winners' Artwork to be Displayed and Performed Worldwide - SpaceRef - See HumansInSpaceArt on Facebook
for examples of the artwork, presumably from previous years' competitions.
5/12/2012: Laramie Rose Free Flight - SpeedUp - I didn't write up the SpeedUp presentation at Space Access because I missed it when there was a change in the schedule there, so I'm glad to be able to link to this.
AISR CanSat Competition - Nina Markham on YouTube
Masten Space fires new Katana engine - RLV News
Briefs: Jordin Kare interview; KSC master plan - RLV News
Citizens in Space opens High Altitude Astrobiology Challenge - RLV News
XCOR announces Lynx suborbital flight winner - RLV News
2011 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition finals - Space for All
Kevin Sloan interview on the University Rover Challenge - The Space Show
OSTP Sees NASA As Leader In Offering Prizes - NASA Watch
The 6 Space App Challenge winners that want to change the world - DVICE.com
Announcing the Opening of the 2012 Humans in Space Youth Art Competition: Winners' Artwork to be Displayed and Performed Worldwide - SpaceRef - See HumansInSpaceArt on Facebook
for examples of the artwork, presumably from previous years' competitions.
5/12/2012: Laramie Rose Free Flight - SpeedUp - I didn't write up the SpeedUp presentation at Space Access because I missed it when there was a change in the schedule there, so I'm glad to be able to link to this.
AISR CanSat Competition - Nina Markham on YouTube
Masten Space fires new Katana engine - RLV News
Briefs: Jordin Kare interview; KSC master plan - RLV News
Citizens in Space opens High Altitude Astrobiology Challenge - RLV News
XCOR announces Lynx suborbital flight winner - RLV News
2011 Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court competition finals - Space for All
Friday, November 11, 2011
Space Prize Roundup: Shredder Challenge, Cost Saving Idea, Nanosat Allied Org, LEAG, more
This isn't a space prize, but it's an interesting one nonetheless: the DARPA Shredder Challenge.
***
White House Selects NASA Idea for Savings - Lori Garver at NASA discusses the NASA finalist for the SAVE Award.
***
YouTube Space Lab Competition Expands Panel of Prestigious Judges: YouTube and Lenovo Tap Renowned Science and Technology Experts to Ignite Students' Interest in Space - press release at CNBC - The new Teachers in Space effort is well represented.
***
NASA And Space Florida Small Satellite Research Center Partner In Space Launch Challenge - This is a NASA press release on the long-awaited selection of the allied organization for the $2M Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge
2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar Draft Agenda Updated 11/2/2011 - Team Phoenicia presents the latest update on the schedule for the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge seminar. This includes Space Florida, NASA representatives, spaceports, potential suppliers and teams, and more. The seminar is this weekend, and a parallel seminar covers NASA's other Centennial Challenges.
@unrocket: Saturday I'm going to NanoSat conference. I really like this particular Centennial challenge, IMHO best one yet.. (http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_stage_innovation/centennial_challenges/nano_satellite/index.html)
Space Florida promises Virgin Galactic payloads - Florida Today shows that Space Florida is keeping busy with space prize activity. The researcher and payloads for the suborbital flight will be selected using a competition. Part of the competition will be for Florida university students.
***
NASA 2011 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest - SpaceRef notes that registration is now open for the 2011 version of this contest.
***
Teams selected for the 2012 CanSat competition - ESA on the high school finalists for the European CanSat competition
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NASA prepares for moon tourism - USA Today
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Rules have been updated - Sample Return Robot Challenge - WPI
***
WSJ Innovator of the Year in Tech award for Elon Musk - RLV News
***
Finding Commercial Applications for Laser Power Designed for Space - Space News
***
FUTURE MISSIONS OF EXPLORATION AND SCIENCE (PDF)
FORGING INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS I: COMMERCIAL LUNAR EXPLORATION (PDF) - The LEAG (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group) meeting agenda includes X PRIZE Foundation and Google Lunar X PRIZE team participation.
Notables sign letter to Congress in support of Commercial Crew - RLV News - This includes representatives of the X PRIZE Foundation and Google Lunar X PRIZE teams.
***
Here is some news about some former Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge competitors, including their latest work and the Carmack 100kft Micro Prize:
Armadillo Stig-A rocket video
Briefs: Armadillo rocket snapshot; New Virgin Galactic vid
Masten Space update
Armadillo Stig snapshot
Briefs: Ben Brockert interview; Derek Deville interview
Briefs: Ben Brockert pt. 2; Ken Murphy interview
Derek Deville's Qu8k rocket in USA Today
Unreasonable composite tank test - all from RLV News
***
White House Selects NASA Idea for Savings - Lori Garver at NASA discusses the NASA finalist for the SAVE Award.
***
YouTube Space Lab Competition Expands Panel of Prestigious Judges: YouTube and Lenovo Tap Renowned Science and Technology Experts to Ignite Students' Interest in Space - press release at CNBC - The new Teachers in Space effort is well represented.
***
NASA And Space Florida Small Satellite Research Center Partner In Space Launch Challenge - This is a NASA press release on the long-awaited selection of the allied organization for the $2M Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge
2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar Draft Agenda Updated 11/2/2011 - Team Phoenicia presents the latest update on the schedule for the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge seminar. This includes Space Florida, NASA representatives, spaceports, potential suppliers and teams, and more. The seminar is this weekend, and a parallel seminar covers NASA's other Centennial Challenges.
@unrocket: Saturday I'm going to NanoSat conference. I really like this particular Centennial challenge, IMHO best one yet.. (http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_stage_innovation/centennial_challenges/nano_satellite/index.html)
Space Florida promises Virgin Galactic payloads - Florida Today shows that Space Florida is keeping busy with space prize activity. The researcher and payloads for the suborbital flight will be selected using a competition. Part of the competition will be for Florida university students.
***
NASA 2011 OPTIMUS PRIME Spinoff Video Contest - SpaceRef notes that registration is now open for the 2011 version of this contest.
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Teams selected for the 2012 CanSat competition - ESA on the high school finalists for the European CanSat competition
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NASA prepares for moon tourism - USA Today
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Rules have been updated - Sample Return Robot Challenge - WPI
***
WSJ Innovator of the Year in Tech award for Elon Musk - RLV News
***
Finding Commercial Applications for Laser Power Designed for Space - Space News
***
FUTURE MISSIONS OF EXPLORATION AND SCIENCE (PDF)
FORGING INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS I: COMMERCIAL LUNAR EXPLORATION (PDF) - The LEAG (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group) meeting agenda includes X PRIZE Foundation and Google Lunar X PRIZE team participation.
Notables sign letter to Congress in support of Commercial Crew - RLV News - This includes representatives of the X PRIZE Foundation and Google Lunar X PRIZE teams.
***
Here is some news about some former Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge competitors, including their latest work and the Carmack 100kft Micro Prize:
Armadillo Stig-A rocket video
Briefs: Armadillo rocket snapshot; New Virgin Galactic vid
Masten Space update
Armadillo Stig snapshot
Briefs: Ben Brockert interview; Derek Deville interview
Briefs: Ben Brockert pt. 2; Ken Murphy interview
Derek Deville's Qu8k rocket in USA Today
Unreasonable composite tank test - all from RLV News
Friday, September 23, 2011
Another Centennial Challenges Update: Night Rover Allied Org, Green Flight Challenge Next Week, Radical Benefit, LaserMotive Week, More
NASA has picked the Cleantech Open as the Allied Organization to run the $1.5M Night Rover Centennial Challenge to collect solar energy and store it long enough to do productive work during the lunar night.
NASA and The Cleantech Open Partner in Robotics Challenge - NASA
Here's their Night Rover Challenge website. You will see there that Joshua Neubert, who was the Executive Director of the Conrad Foundation, is on the management team.
Challenge.gov also has a Night Rover Challenge page.
***
Get ready for the NASA Green Flight Challenge run by the CAFE Foundation, and the subsequent Google Green Flight Challenge Expo at NASA Ames:
NASA is Painting the Skies Green Over Santa Rosa - NASA - It will be held at the Sonoma County Airport there.
NASA competition could lead to air taxis anyone can afford - Al.com
NASA, CAFE Foundation Host Google Green Flight Challenge Expo - NASA
Here's the Green Flight Challenge fact sheet. (PDF)
***
It isn't strictly a Centennial Challenge, but I think of it as a product of the Regolith Excavation Challenge:
NASA 2012 Lunabotics Competition Open For Registration - NASA - The Lunabotics Mining Competition will be held May 21-26 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
NASA's Digital Learning Network will hold a webcast about the Lunabotics competition on September 27, 4:00 ET.
***
The X PRIZE Foundation, which ran the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, will hold a Radical Benefit for Humanity on October 20.
Briefs: Speed Up update; Will Watson interview; Space regulation discussion panel - RLV News - SpeedUp was one of the Lunar Lander Challenge competitors. SpeedUp is now Ready for Tether Testing.
***
The first winner of the Beam Power Centennial Challenge, LaserMotive, is in the news a lot lately:
Space Angels Network Invests in Wireless Power Beaming Company: LaserMotive, Inc. (PDF) - Space Angels Network
Lasermotive is in NASA power beaming project - RLV News
Could laser propulsion open up space? - Next Big Future has an interview with LaserMotive's Jordin Kare.
***
It would be nice to get some discussion going at this NASASpaceflight.com forum post on the 2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar.
NASA and The Cleantech Open Partner in Robotics Challenge - NASA
Here's their Night Rover Challenge website. You will see there that Joshua Neubert, who was the Executive Director of the Conrad Foundation, is on the management team.
Challenge.gov also has a Night Rover Challenge page.
***
Get ready for the NASA Green Flight Challenge run by the CAFE Foundation, and the subsequent Google Green Flight Challenge Expo at NASA Ames:
NASA is Painting the Skies Green Over Santa Rosa - NASA - It will be held at the Sonoma County Airport there.
NASA competition could lead to air taxis anyone can afford - Al.com
NASA, CAFE Foundation Host Google Green Flight Challenge Expo - NASA
Here's the Green Flight Challenge fact sheet. (PDF)
***
It isn't strictly a Centennial Challenge, but I think of it as a product of the Regolith Excavation Challenge:
NASA 2012 Lunabotics Competition Open For Registration - NASA - The Lunabotics Mining Competition will be held May 21-26 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
NASA's Digital Learning Network will hold a webcast about the Lunabotics competition on September 27, 4:00 ET.
***
The X PRIZE Foundation, which ran the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, will hold a Radical Benefit for Humanity on October 20.
Briefs: Speed Up update; Will Watson interview; Space regulation discussion panel - RLV News - SpeedUp was one of the Lunar Lander Challenge competitors. SpeedUp is now Ready for Tether Testing.
***
The first winner of the Beam Power Centennial Challenge, LaserMotive, is in the news a lot lately:
Space Angels Network Invests in Wireless Power Beaming Company: LaserMotive, Inc. (PDF) - Space Angels Network
Lasermotive is in NASA power beaming project - RLV News
Could laser propulsion open up space? - Next Big Future has an interview with LaserMotive's Jordin Kare.
***
It would be nice to get some discussion going at this NASASpaceflight.com forum post on the 2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sample Return Registration, TARC Tour, Green Flight Challenge and Expo, Much More
Wow, there's a lot going on in the space prize world! A lot of the topics deserve their own post, but with my growing family I can only manage a quick link list. Here's the latest roundup of space prize updates:
Sample Return Robot Challenge
Challenge Rules Posted & Registration Open - Sample Return Robot Challenge (WPI)
@WPI_Robotics: Picture of the pre-cached sample for the Centennial Challenge!#WPI #omgrobotswpirobotics.smugmug.com/services/graph… or visit challenge.wpi.edu for info
Team America Rocketry Challenge
Winning TARC Team Visits Washington, Praises Raytheon for Support - Raytheon
TARC Winners in DC - This is a Flickr photo set of the visit.
Green Flight Challenge
Matters of Note for the Green Flight Expo - The CAFE Foundation Blog describes Matternet, "an outgrowth of Singularity University" that plans to enable transportation of supplies to remote locations.
List of Exhibitors - The Green Flight Expo will be at NASA Ames on October 3 after the competition. The actual competition starts in 1 week.
See the Google Green Flight Challenge Exposition hosted by NASA
Other
New Competition Brings Robots to Market - OSTP Blog
2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar Draft Agenda Updated 9/16/2011 - Team Phoenicia
N-prize: the world's smallest space programme - SpaceRef - Part of this is a call for global representation in the challenge, particularly in Asia. The new N-prize teams map shows why. There is a gap, but on the bright side that's a lot of teams!
Fall 2011 Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest - Teaching with Contests
CTSI Chooses LaserMotive as One of Top Ten Defense Energy Tech Companies - LaserMotive
Conrad Foundation on Capitol Hill - NASA Watch
"What's Next?" In Space Exploration Video Contest - NASA Watch - The contest is from the Coalition for Space Exploration.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts show Right Stuff in National Rocket Competition - Space for All
Student contest to name the GRAIL lunar probes and to direct their cameras - Space for All
Canadian Satellite Design Challenge - Space for All
Int. Art Contest - The Space Foundation - Space for All
Student NewSpace Business Plan Competition - RLV News
Unreasonable update - RLV News - Paul's post includes a picture of a new tank, and here's another one of it: twitpic.com/6j0jng
Sample Return Robot Challenge
Challenge Rules Posted & Registration Open - Sample Return Robot Challenge (WPI)
@WPI_Robotics: Picture of the pre-cached sample for the Centennial Challenge!
Team America Rocketry Challenge
Winning TARC Team Visits Washington, Praises Raytheon for Support - Raytheon
TARC Winners in DC - This is a Flickr photo set of the visit.
Green Flight Challenge
Matters of Note for the Green Flight Expo - The CAFE Foundation Blog describes Matternet, "an outgrowth of Singularity University" that plans to enable transportation of supplies to remote locations.
List of Exhibitors - The Green Flight Expo will be at NASA Ames on October 3 after the competition. The actual competition starts in 1 week.
See the Google Green Flight Challenge Exposition hosted by NASA
Other
New Competition Brings Robots to Market - OSTP Blog
2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar Draft Agenda Updated 9/16/2011 - Team Phoenicia
N-prize: the world's smallest space programme - SpaceRef - Part of this is a call for global representation in the challenge, particularly in Asia. The new N-prize teams map shows why. There is a gap, but on the bright side that's a lot of teams!
Fall 2011 Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest - Teaching with Contests
CTSI Chooses LaserMotive as One of Top Ten Defense Energy Tech Companies - LaserMotive
Conrad Foundation on Capitol Hill - NASA Watch
"What's Next?" In Space Exploration Video Contest - NASA Watch - The contest is from the Coalition for Space Exploration.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts show Right Stuff in National Rocket Competition - Space for All
Student contest to name the GRAIL lunar probes and to direct their cameras - Space for All
Canadian Satellite Design Challenge - Space for All
Int. Art Contest - The Space Foundation - Space for All
Student NewSpace Business Plan Competition - RLV News
Unreasonable update - RLV News - Paul's post includes a picture of a new tank, and here's another one of it: twitpic.com/6j0jng
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Prize Roundup: Conrad Awards at Ames, LaserMotive at SPIE, FAA Prize Discussion, More
Bright Young Minds Present Visions for the Future - NASA on the Conrad Foundation's Innovation Summit held at NASA Ames:
The team from Upper Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. won the aerospace exploration category for their composting system for use in long-duration space flight. The “Perpetual Harvest Space Nutrition System” takes organic waste and creates compost that is then used to grow fresh foods while also serving as an air filter for human habitation.
The winner in the clean energy category, the West Philly EVX Team, was a prominent contender in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE and other competitions.
SPIE 2011: Laser solution for long-endurance UAVs - Shepard
EuSEC moved to August, 2011 - The Space Elevator Blog
Here are some articles on the FAA AST budget request, which includes funding for a prize for a partially reusable cubesat launcher:
Nield Lays Out FAA Commercial Space Budget for Congress - Parabolic Arc
FAA Defends Requested 74 Percent Budget Increase for FY2012 - Space Policy Online
Raising the profile of FAA’s commercial space transportation work - Space Politics
'Incentiprizing': The New Path To Business Breakthroughs - The Huffington Post
@paulsrobotics: Pauls Robotics yfrog.com/h44a9kdj
@LaserMotive: Wow, we had a great business trip to CA this week! Can't go into details, but there's some exciting stuff coming up!
The 2011 Team America Rocketry Challenge is scheduled for next weekend - May 14.
The team from Upper Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. won the aerospace exploration category for their composting system for use in long-duration space flight. The “Perpetual Harvest Space Nutrition System” takes organic waste and creates compost that is then used to grow fresh foods while also serving as an air filter for human habitation.
The winner in the clean energy category, the West Philly EVX Team, was a prominent contender in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE and other competitions.
SPIE 2011: Laser solution for long-endurance UAVs - Shepard
EuSEC moved to August, 2011 - The Space Elevator Blog
Here are some articles on the FAA AST budget request, which includes funding for a prize for a partially reusable cubesat launcher:
Nield Lays Out FAA Commercial Space Budget for Congress - Parabolic Arc
FAA Defends Requested 74 Percent Budget Increase for FY2012 - Space Policy Online
Raising the profile of FAA’s commercial space transportation work - Space Politics
'Incentiprizing': The New Path To Business Breakthroughs - The Huffington Post
@paulsrobotics: Pauls Robotics yfrog.com/h44a9kdj
@LaserMotive: Wow, we had a great business trip to CA this week! Can't go into details, but there's some exciting stuff coming up!
The 2011 Team America Rocketry Challenge is scheduled for next weekend - May 14.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Roundup: Jousting, Slinky, Student Launches, Nanosat Vids, Space Tech, CAFE on FB, More
Sometimes a space prize is a space prize because of who is hosting the competition:
Competitive Jousting on the Shores of Lake Austin - TexasJoust.com - Richard Garriott is the host of Lysts on the Lake.
2011 Weightless Object Contest Winner - ZERO-G Facebook - The winner is the Slinky.
Nanosat Launcher Challenge Raw Video #12-15: Dr Andrew Petro on the Centennial Challenges - Team Phoenicia - You can find the earlier videos on the Nanosat Launcher Challenge meeting at their site, too.
Gallery: NASA Student Launch Projects - The Huntsville Times has a photo gallery for the student competition.
SpaceTech Engineering Design Challenge - SpaceHack shows a competition for college students that NASA's new Office of Space Technology wants to hold.
Space Angels Network LOS ANGELES Venture Forum, April 28, 2011 - Space Angels Network is holding this event for accredited investors at 1 Rocket Rd in Hawthorne, CA. You can probably guess where that is. The presenting company is Astrobotic Technology, Inc.
NASA Awards Contract for Lunar Gravity Simulation Device - Astrobotic
Our Sputnik Moment: US Entrepreneurs Needed for the "Space Race" - The Huffington Post features Naveen Jain from Moon Express.
LaserMotive to Present to 29th Annual Space Power Workshop - LaserMotive
FRC Championship at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri - USFIRST.org - The event will be held April 27-30. NASA will live stream the event.
CAFE Foundation on Facebook - Their most recent update there links to their blog post Berblinger Flight Competition Winners for 2011. Their blog also notes that the 5th Annual CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium Launches New Age of Flight on April 29-30. That symposium includes some prize content:
As a special event, EAS V will debut the awesome array of experimental new electric aircraft that will compete 9 weeks later in the 2011 NASA Aeronautics Prize, the CAFE Green Flight Challenge (July 10-17 at Santa Rosa Airport).
James Cameron And Eric Schmidt On Why They "Visioneer" For X Prize - Fast Company
X PRIZE Visioneering and The Mother of All Business Plan Competitions - Tech Crunch
Competitive Jousting on the Shores of Lake Austin - TexasJoust.com - Richard Garriott is the host of Lysts on the Lake.
2011 Weightless Object Contest Winner - ZERO-G Facebook - The winner is the Slinky.
Nanosat Launcher Challenge Raw Video #12-15: Dr Andrew Petro on the Centennial Challenges - Team Phoenicia - You can find the earlier videos on the Nanosat Launcher Challenge meeting at their site, too.
Gallery: NASA Student Launch Projects - The Huntsville Times has a photo gallery for the student competition.
SpaceTech Engineering Design Challenge - SpaceHack shows a competition for college students that NASA's new Office of Space Technology wants to hold.
Space Angels Network LOS ANGELES Venture Forum, April 28, 2011 - Space Angels Network is holding this event for accredited investors at 1 Rocket Rd in Hawthorne, CA. You can probably guess where that is. The presenting company is Astrobotic Technology, Inc.
NASA Awards Contract for Lunar Gravity Simulation Device - Astrobotic
Our Sputnik Moment: US Entrepreneurs Needed for the "Space Race" - The Huffington Post features Naveen Jain from Moon Express.
LaserMotive to Present to 29th Annual Space Power Workshop - LaserMotive
FRC Championship at the Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri - USFIRST.org - The event will be held April 27-30. NASA will live stream the event.
CAFE Foundation on Facebook - Their most recent update there links to their blog post Berblinger Flight Competition Winners for 2011. Their blog also notes that the 5th Annual CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium Launches New Age of Flight on April 29-30. That symposium includes some prize content:
As a special event, EAS V will debut the awesome array of experimental new electric aircraft that will compete 9 weeks later in the 2011 NASA Aeronautics Prize, the CAFE Green Flight Challenge (July 10-17 at Santa Rosa Airport).
James Cameron And Eric Schmidt On Why They "Visioneer" For X Prize - Fast Company
X PRIZE Visioneering and The Mother of All Business Plan Competitions - Tech Crunch
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Space Access '11: Kansas City Space Pirates - Frank Smith
KCSP have been involved with the NASA Power Beaming Challenge, FIRST, educational outreach, tether experiments, spacecraft design, and developing a new business.
Frank showed a video of the KCSP tether climber.
LaserMotive won some of the $2M Power Beaming Challenge, but $1.1M remains. However, only LaserMotive is able to compete this time in the climber challenge. Spaceward is looking into changing the challenge (Editor's note: I assume this is in the interest of having multiple competitors in the challenge ... but I'm not sure what LaserMotive thinks of the idea). One idea for competition is to beam power to a rover, with the rover able to drive round at least 50m, do a turn, and rove another 50m. The score would be based on the efficiency of beaming multiplied by the distance. This idea has not been approved. It's a preliminary proposal by The Spaceward Foundation.
KCSP are working on a tether experiment It involves a smallsat (under 1 kg), a gravity gradient boom, and unspooling a tether as much as possible.
They have a new business, "Ashes to Orbit". They put 1 ounce of ashes into a polar orbit, the ashes disperse into a cloud, they come back to Earth in 1-2 weeks, and spread over the Earth. They're designing the capsule, and the launch provider has not been announced yet.
Their name is based on the mascot of a university they've worked with.
Frank showed a video of the KCSP tether climber.
LaserMotive won some of the $2M Power Beaming Challenge, but $1.1M remains. However, only LaserMotive is able to compete this time in the climber challenge. Spaceward is looking into changing the challenge (Editor's note: I assume this is in the interest of having multiple competitors in the challenge ... but I'm not sure what LaserMotive thinks of the idea). One idea for competition is to beam power to a rover, with the rover able to drive round at least 50m, do a turn, and rove another 50m. The score would be based on the efficiency of beaming multiplied by the distance. This idea has not been approved. It's a preliminary proposal by The Spaceward Foundation.
KCSP are working on a tether experiment It involves a smallsat (under 1 kg), a gravity gradient boom, and unspooling a tether as much as possible.
They have a new business, "Ashes to Orbit". They put 1 ounce of ashes into a polar orbit, the ashes disperse into a cloud, they come back to Earth in 1-2 weeks, and spread over the Earth. They're designing the capsule, and the launch provider has not been announced yet.
Their name is based on the mascot of a university they've worked with.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Nanosat Mission Ideas, Wild Card Winner, FIRST, TARC Kit, More
March Madness -- Moonbuggy-style - NASA Great Moonbuggy Race Blog
Estes releases new Team America parts assortment packs - Rocketry Planet
Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #42 - Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration
Students Compete in Lego Robotics Challenge at JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Robotics ingenuity on the spot: FIRST competition draws student teams to WPI - Telegram.com
New chief executive officer for space company - Isleofman.com on Odyssey Moon
Conrad Foundation announces first ever Wild Card Invitation Winner - Conrad Foundation
EuSEC - Looking for a few good teams… - The Space Elevator Blog
There’s an app for that! - The Space Elevator Blog
Economist: Beam it up - The Space Elevator Reference
@LaserMotive: LaserMotive will be pitching to the Space Angels Network March 31st in LA and Palo Alto: http://bit.ly/dFEzv9
@ac_charania: 1st Nano-sat Constellation Mission Idea Contest, 1st place: Integrated Meteorological/Precise Positioning Mission http://bit.ly/hL4lMS
Here's the Nano-satellite Constellation Mission Idea Contest site where you can find out more about the winners and other finalists. In addition to prize money and publication, the finalists were invited to present at the 2nd Nano-Satellite Symposium in Tokyo. The rest of that symposium has been canceled because of effects of the recent earthquake, but per A.C. Charania's tweets, a second Nanosat Constellation Mission Idea Contest is planned for 2012.
Estes releases new Team America parts assortment packs - Rocketry Planet
Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #42 - Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration
Students Compete in Lego Robotics Challenge at JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Robotics ingenuity on the spot: FIRST competition draws student teams to WPI - Telegram.com
New chief executive officer for space company - Isleofman.com on Odyssey Moon
Conrad Foundation announces first ever Wild Card Invitation Winner - Conrad Foundation
EuSEC - Looking for a few good teams… - The Space Elevator Blog
There’s an app for that! - The Space Elevator Blog
Economist: Beam it up - The Space Elevator Reference
@LaserMotive: LaserMotive will be pitching to the Space Angels Network March 31st in LA and Palo Alto: http://bit.ly/dFEzv9
@ac_charania: 1st Nano-sat Constellation Mission Idea Contest, 1st place: Integrated Meteorological/Precise Positioning Mission http://bit.ly/hL4lMS
Here's the Nano-satellite Constellation Mission Idea Contest site where you can find out more about the winners and other finalists. In addition to prize money and publication, the finalists were invited to present at the 2nd Nano-Satellite Symposium in Tokyo. The rest of that symposium has been canceled because of effects of the recent earthquake, but per A.C. Charania's tweets, a second Nanosat Constellation Mission Idea Contest is planned for 2012.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Prize Roundup: FAA Space Access Prize? Space Elevator, ISDC, NSRC Student Prize, More
FAA 2012 budget proposal includes space access prize - Space Politics
Here are 3 updates that mix in some other topics with information about competitions with a Space Elevator theme:
An oldie but goodie… - The Space Elevator Blog
Call for Papers for the 2011 Space Elevator Conference - The Space Elevator Reference
Moving Forward In March - LaserMotive
Need your help: A GLXP Panel at International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2011) - Evadot
Allure From Afar: 1st Prize Student Essay at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, 2011 - SpaceRef
NASA recruiting sponsors for new high-tech competitions - Network World / Layer 8
The following RLV News set includes a number of Armadillo and Unreasonable Rocket updates:
Briefs: Paul Breed interview Pt.2; Stig at sunset; REL update
Briefs: Blue Origin article; Stig + team; CSF hails NSRC
Packing up Stig
Briefs: Unreasonable interview; Andrews Space gets Reusable Booster study contract
Armadillo nosecone/parachute deployment test video
NSRC 2011: Monday afternoon - Suborbital provider session
Armadillo video of the Tube Rocket preparations
Here are 3 updates that mix in some other topics with information about competitions with a Space Elevator theme:
An oldie but goodie… - The Space Elevator Blog
Call for Papers for the 2011 Space Elevator Conference - The Space Elevator Reference
Moving Forward In March - LaserMotive
Need your help: A GLXP Panel at International Space Development Conference (ISDC 2011) - Evadot
Allure From Afar: 1st Prize Student Essay at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, 2011 - SpaceRef
NASA recruiting sponsors for new high-tech competitions - Network World / Layer 8
The following RLV News set includes a number of Armadillo and Unreasonable Rocket updates:
Briefs: Paul Breed interview Pt.2; Stig at sunset; REL update
Briefs: Blue Origin article; Stig + team; CSF hails NSRC
Packing up Stig
Briefs: Unreasonable interview; Andrews Space gets Reusable Booster study contract
Armadillo nosecone/parachute deployment test video
NSRC 2011: Monday afternoon - Suborbital provider session
Armadillo video of the Tube Rocket preparations
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Prize Roundup: Photonics West, NanoSail-D Photos, OSTP Role, More
Trade Show Math - LaserMotive
The LaserMotive twitter has a few tweets about the trade show, ending with
@LaserMotive: We made it! Tom and Dave have finished walking the floor at #pw11 Photonics West. Very exciting event. Now heading home.
Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #40 - Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration
Approaching the Tipping Point: Establishing the New Airship Industry - Airship Z-Prize
We Chat With 2009-2010 Spirit Of Innovation Award Winners Shannon and Mikayla Diesch! - MTV Geek News
Still got the right stuff: the next generation of rocket scientists - Ars Technica
NanoSail-D photo contest - NASA/SpaceWeather.com - Space for All
OSTP's role expanding under new law - Federal News Radio
The LaserMotive twitter has a few tweets about the trade show, ending with
@LaserMotive: We made it! Tom and Dave have finished walking the floor at #pw11 Photonics West. Very exciting event. Now heading home.
Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #40 - Luna C/I: Moon Colonization and Integration
Approaching the Tipping Point: Establishing the New Airship Industry - Airship Z-Prize
We Chat With 2009-2010 Spirit Of Innovation Award Winners Shannon and Mikayla Diesch! - MTV Geek News
Still got the right stuff: the next generation of rocket scientists - Ars Technica
NanoSail-D photo contest - NASA/SpaceWeather.com - Space for All
OSTP's role expanding under new law - Federal News Radio
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Prize Roundup: JPL National Science Bowl, Beamed Energy Propulsion, Xoie Art, Glove Project, More
Unreasonable update - RLV News
Move Over, Rover: Next Giant Leap Gets $1 Million Grant To Build Hopping Moon Landers - TechCrunch
National Science Bowl ® - Jet Propulsion Laboratory - JPL is hosting the Southern California regional competition on Saturday, January 22.
Beamed energy propulsion update - RLV News - Jordin Kare from LaserMotive is featured in the article.
@pomerantz: You say you want a revolution? Well, you know, we'd sure love to give a prize. Some updates to the prize groups at http://www.xprize.org/
If you check out the Exploration Prize Group, you'll see that one of the proposed prize concepts is
Beamed Power Propulsion
Nearly all launches to date have relied on chemical propulsion, carried on board the vehicle, and thereby sharply reducing payload mass fraction. Beamed power offers a radically alternative launch strategy. Payload launch costs to orbit will drop by a factor of 50 or more. The goal is to launch a 10 Kg payload to a 30Km altitude, deriving 100% of its energy from a ground-based beamed power system. The system must also be reusable and repeatable within 24 hours.
The full set of concepts, covering aviation, space and ocean exploration, includes
The winner of the Space Life competition will be the first team that can create a single or multi-cellular edible organism that can grow under standard Martian surface conditions.
@flyingjenny: My latest creation: a needle felted Xoie by Masten Space Systems, Lunar Lander Challenge winner http://post.ly/1W6VN
See, here's the @Xprize X on Xoie: http://post.ly/1W6jz
From the winner of the Astronaut Glove Challenge:
@pkhomer: Heading home from HOU. Just kicked off a new glove project for @NASA.
@InnoCentiveCEO: Cool! Our new book is on Amazon for pre order even know won't be out for months! http://amzn.to/hn1o4k
@Prize4Life: Support Prize4Life! Contribute to Mark and Lionel’s fundraising effort for the Grand Traverse ski race! http://fb.me/O1oRkrXt
Move Over, Rover: Next Giant Leap Gets $1 Million Grant To Build Hopping Moon Landers - TechCrunch
National Science Bowl ® - Jet Propulsion Laboratory - JPL is hosting the Southern California regional competition on Saturday, January 22.
Beamed energy propulsion update - RLV News - Jordin Kare from LaserMotive is featured in the article.
@pomerantz: You say you want a revolution? Well, you know, we'd sure love to give a prize. Some updates to the prize groups at http://www.xprize.org/
If you check out the Exploration Prize Group, you'll see that one of the proposed prize concepts is
Beamed Power Propulsion
Nearly all launches to date have relied on chemical propulsion, carried on board the vehicle, and thereby sharply reducing payload mass fraction. Beamed power offers a radically alternative launch strategy. Payload launch costs to orbit will drop by a factor of 50 or more. The goal is to launch a 10 Kg payload to a 30Km altitude, deriving 100% of its energy from a ground-based beamed power system. The system must also be reusable and repeatable within 24 hours.
The full set of concepts, covering aviation, space and ocean exploration, includes
- Asteroid Deflection
- Beamed Power Propulsion
- Crater Exploration
- Deep Human Submersible
- Electric Aviation
- Lunar Lander
- Ocean Explorer Platform
- Ocean Floor Mapping
- Ocean pH Sensor
- Orbital Debris Removal
- Personal Electric Autonomous Air Transporter
- Reaction Engine
- Suborbital
- Wolfram Physics
The winner of the Space Life competition will be the first team that can create a single or multi-cellular edible organism that can grow under standard Martian surface conditions.
@flyingjenny: My latest creation: a needle felted Xoie by Masten Space Systems, Lunar Lander Challenge winner http://post.ly/1W6VN
See, here's the @Xprize X on Xoie: http://post.ly/1W6jz
From the winner of the Astronaut Glove Challenge:
@pkhomer: Heading home from HOU. Just kicked off a new glove project for @NASA.
@InnoCentiveCEO: Cool! Our new book is on Amazon for pre order even know won't be out for months! http://amzn.to/hn1o4k
@Prize4Life: Support Prize4Life! Contribute to Mark and Lionel’s fundraising effort for the Grand Traverse ski race! http://fb.me/O1oRkrXt
Friday, January 21, 2011
JSC Ideas, Phobos and Deimos Conference, University Rover Date, Hoppers, More
A Look Inside JSC's New Ideas - NASA Watch
Cross Cutting Themes at JSC - NASA Watch - Click through to take a look at the slide presentations for both of these articles. You may see some imagery that evokes the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge here and there. For example, the "Promote Rapid Prototype Engineering" slide (slide 16 in the Cross Cutting Themes presentation) reminds me of Robonaut - Project M History and Driving Philosophy:
We had also been working with Armadillo Aerospace for a few years. ... We did “hardware store engineering” like a scaled propellant slosh test made of light globes, colored water, nuts and bolts, and lumber from the hardware store. That test allowed us to confirm fundamental slosh modes, anchor our simulation, develop a better full scale slosh test, and give engineers an intuitive feel for the physics. We didn’t sit and debate it, we didn’t analyze and re-analyze, we simply built and learned.
@wikkit: Cryogenic snow falls in Caddo Mills as Phil's 4k methane engine starts running. http://twitpic.com/3r9c98
Preparations for NASA Power Beaming Competition 2011 - LaserMotive
Power up: Laser beams can now deliver energy to machines through thin air - The Economist (link from @NASA_Green_Ames)
Still here - Vog Rockets has a brief note.
A student interested in the N Prize gets a lecture from a former Centennial Challenges manager:
@fineri: Had a lecture by Ken Davidian from the FAA/AST office today, very interesting, pity it was only an hour..
@ConradAwards: Technological innovation, entrepreneurship alive among U.S. HS students, more than 480 students in 2011 competition http://ow.ly/3HiGk
@NextGiantLeap: Planetary rovers: Space hopping | The Economist http://t.co/hgCwg0g via @theeconomist
@Eurospaceward: Registration for the University Rover Challenge June 2 - 4, 2011 extended to Feb 15, 2011, see https://sites.google.com/marssociety.org/urc/
The above Mars Society link (and the site in general) is having some trouble as of this posting, but you can get more details at this University Rover Challenge site.
Second International Conference on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos - SETI Institute - The conference will be held at NASA Ames on March 14-16. It includes the
Mars Institute “Asaph Hall Best Student Paper Award” ceremony during which the Mars Institute will present an award certificate and a USD$500 prize to the student who will have first-authored the most noteworthy research abstract or poster relating to the exploration of Phobos and/or Deimos, as judged by the Conveners of the conference.
Cross Cutting Themes at JSC - NASA Watch - Click through to take a look at the slide presentations for both of these articles. You may see some imagery that evokes the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge here and there. For example, the "Promote Rapid Prototype Engineering" slide (slide 16 in the Cross Cutting Themes presentation) reminds me of Robonaut - Project M History and Driving Philosophy:
We had also been working with Armadillo Aerospace for a few years. ... We did “hardware store engineering” like a scaled propellant slosh test made of light globes, colored water, nuts and bolts, and lumber from the hardware store. That test allowed us to confirm fundamental slosh modes, anchor our simulation, develop a better full scale slosh test, and give engineers an intuitive feel for the physics. We didn’t sit and debate it, we didn’t analyze and re-analyze, we simply built and learned.
@wikkit: Cryogenic snow falls in Caddo Mills as Phil's 4k methane engine starts running. http://twitpic.com/3r9c98
Preparations for NASA Power Beaming Competition 2011 - LaserMotive
Power up: Laser beams can now deliver energy to machines through thin air - The Economist (link from @NASA_Green_Ames)
Still here - Vog Rockets has a brief note.
A student interested in the N Prize gets a lecture from a former Centennial Challenges manager:
@fineri: Had a lecture by Ken Davidian from the FAA/AST office today, very interesting, pity it was only an hour..
@ConradAwards: Technological innovation, entrepreneurship alive among U.S. HS students, more than 480 students in 2011 competition http://ow.ly/3HiGk
@NextGiantLeap: Planetary rovers: Space hopping | The Economist http://t.co/hgCwg0g via @theeconomist
@Eurospaceward: Registration for the University Rover Challenge June 2 - 4, 2011 extended to Feb 15, 2011, see https://sites.google.com/marssociety.org/urc/
The above Mars Society link (and the site in general) is having some trouble as of this posting, but you can get more details at this University Rover Challenge site.
Second International Conference on the Exploration of Phobos and Deimos - SETI Institute - The conference will be held at NASA Ames on March 14-16. It includes the
Mars Institute “Asaph Hall Best Student Paper Award” ceremony during which the Mars Institute will present an award certificate and a USD$500 prize to the student who will have first-authored the most noteworthy research abstract or poster relating to the exploration of Phobos and/or Deimos, as judged by the Conveners of the conference.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Roundup: Lunar Prize Site Map, COMPETES Signed, Space Art, Masten Mud, More
Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #39 - Luna C/I
Google Lunar X PRIZE Proposed Landing Sites - EvaDot
LaserMotive: 2010 Year In Review - LaserMotive
COMPETES Passage Keeps America's Leadership on Target - The President signed the America COMPETES Act yesterday, so the Office of Science and Technology Policy reposted comments by John Holdren made when it passed Congress. Here's an excerpt:
And in a great boost for the cause of generating novel solutions to tough national problems, COMPETES gives every department and agency the authority to conduct prize competitions. Prizes and challenges have an excellent track record of accelerating problem-solving by tapping America’s top talent and best expertise wherever it may lie. The Administration has supported this approach as part of its all-hands-on-deck approach to stimulating innovation, and under COMPETES we can expect a further blossoming of new ideas from citizen solvers across the land.
Challenge.gov in long tradition of giving prizes for solutions to tough problems - The Washington Post
@LRO_NASA: Suuuper cute. Winners of space science art contest for grades 2-4. http://fb.me/CEDznEpZ
@genomics_xprize: Genomics X PRIZE Advisor, Leroy Hood wins $500k prize 4 "for automating DNA sequencing that revolutionized biomedicine" http://bit.ly/dROa4E
Crawley wins National Academy of Engineering’s Gordon Prize - MIT News
It looks like my college dorm's field after a Rugby game:
@MdlRcktScientst: Getting ready to attempt a hold-down test. In the mud. Awesome. http://twitpic.com/3n2w6q
@ConradAwards: Conrad Foundation and Constellation Energy Group give students a new chance to win http://pitch.pe/114727
Google Lunar X PRIZE Proposed Landing Sites - EvaDot
LaserMotive: 2010 Year In Review - LaserMotive
COMPETES Passage Keeps America's Leadership on Target - The President signed the America COMPETES Act yesterday, so the Office of Science and Technology Policy reposted comments by John Holdren made when it passed Congress. Here's an excerpt:
And in a great boost for the cause of generating novel solutions to tough national problems, COMPETES gives every department and agency the authority to conduct prize competitions. Prizes and challenges have an excellent track record of accelerating problem-solving by tapping America’s top talent and best expertise wherever it may lie. The Administration has supported this approach as part of its all-hands-on-deck approach to stimulating innovation, and under COMPETES we can expect a further blossoming of new ideas from citizen solvers across the land.
Challenge.gov in long tradition of giving prizes for solutions to tough problems - The Washington Post
@LRO_NASA: Suuuper cute. Winners of space science art contest for grades 2-4. http://fb.me/CEDznEpZ
@genomics_xprize: Genomics X PRIZE Advisor, Leroy Hood wins $500k prize 4 "for automating DNA sequencing that revolutionized biomedicine" http://bit.ly/dROa4E
Crawley wins National Academy of Engineering’s Gordon Prize - MIT News
It looks like my college dorm's field after a Rugby game:
@MdlRcktScientst: Getting ready to attempt a hold-down test. In the mud. Awesome. http://twitpic.com/3n2w6q
@ConradAwards: Conrad Foundation and Constellation Energy Group give students a new chance to win http://pitch.pe/114727
Friday, December 31, 2010
European Space Elevator Challenge, Masten Spotlight, Video Contest, More
I'm going to start a bit off-topic today. Part of yesterday's post involved propellant depots and satellite servicing. Here's some related news (via @spacevidcast):
NASA Awards Systems Engineering Contract For In-Space Servicing - NASA - The contract is for support of 2 Goddard Space Flight Center-led technology demonstrations at the ISS:
The first demonstration will use a customized payload task box, Dextre and specialized tools to robotically demonstrate refueling and repair tasks in orbit. Tasks will include locating, accessing and uncapping valves and transferring simulated liquid fuel. During the second demonstration, Dextre will test and evaluate a variety of tools, sensors and instruments to support autonomous rendezvous and capture capabilities for orbiting spacecraft systems.
And now back to the prizes and prize teams!
Suborbital Spotlight: Masten’s Xaero and Xogdor Vehicles - Parabolic Arc
Way out of the box presure system... - Unreasonable Rocket
PET third stage COTS tank - Unreasonable Rocket
The Leeward Space Foundation - The Space Elevator Blog
@SEGames: Europe will hold its first Space Elevator Challenge June 10-12, 2011. Details here: http://eusec.warr.de/
@JUXTOPIA_JURBAN: It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Space Act Agreement Between Juxtopia and NASA has been signed. Congratulations!!!!!!!!
@NASA: Students: Reminder - time is running out to submit videos in the OPTIMUS PRIME Video Contest about NASA Technology http://go.nasa.gov/fWfWfZ
NASA Awards Systems Engineering Contract For In-Space Servicing - NASA - The contract is for support of 2 Goddard Space Flight Center-led technology demonstrations at the ISS:
The first demonstration will use a customized payload task box, Dextre and specialized tools to robotically demonstrate refueling and repair tasks in orbit. Tasks will include locating, accessing and uncapping valves and transferring simulated liquid fuel. During the second demonstration, Dextre will test and evaluate a variety of tools, sensors and instruments to support autonomous rendezvous and capture capabilities for orbiting spacecraft systems.
And now back to the prizes and prize teams!
Suborbital Spotlight: Masten’s Xaero and Xogdor Vehicles - Parabolic Arc
Way out of the box presure system... - Unreasonable Rocket
PET third stage COTS tank - Unreasonable Rocket
The Leeward Space Foundation - The Space Elevator Blog
@SEGames: Europe will hold its first Space Elevator Challenge June 10-12, 2011. Details here: http://eusec.warr.de/
@JUXTOPIA_JURBAN: It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Space Act Agreement Between Juxtopia and NASA has been signed. Congratulations!!!!!!!!
@NASA: Students: Reminder - time is running out to submit videos in the OPTIMUS PRIME Video Contest about NASA Technology http://go.nasa.gov/fWfWfZ
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Prize Roundup: Phoenicia History, NW Startup Win, Rover Captions, SBIR, More
IEEE Presentation: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Launch Pad - Check out the presentation within this Team Phoenicia blog post. It has a lot of interesting information about the team.
Zephyr Aurora: Taking Shape [21] - Team Phoenicia
@LaserMotive: LaserMotive won the NW Startup Demo, beating out some other very good demos.
@MarsRovers: Here are the winning entries from the Oppy caption contest. Drumroll, please: http://on.fb.me/g5WsT0
@jetlab: Students Bounce to the Top at JPL Competition: With rubber band contraptions, leaf blowers, balloons and o... http://bit.ly/hmy1TQ
Internacional Cansat Competition 2011 - coming soon ...
Briefs: Masten Space's SBIR; Rocket City Space Pioneers update - RLV News
Zephyr Aurora: Taking Shape [21] - Team Phoenicia
@LaserMotive: LaserMotive won the NW Startup Demo, beating out some other very good demos.
@MarsRovers: Here are the winning entries from the Oppy caption contest. Drumroll, please: http://on.fb.me/g5WsT0
@jetlab: Students Bounce to the Top at JPL Competition: With rubber band contraptions, leaf blowers, balloons and o... http://bit.ly/hmy1TQ
Internacional Cansat Competition 2011 - coming soon ...
Briefs: Masten Space's SBIR; Rocket City Space Pioneers update - RLV News
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