From X PRIZE Cars blog:
Tesla CEO changes, layoffs happening - There are several linked articles on this topic.
Automotive X Prize News: Oct 29th, 2008 - This one covers Progressive Automotive X PRIZE new hires, the "Revenge of the Electric Car" (movie sequel to "Who Killed the Electric Car") blog, Aptera stopping traffic, the Dean Kamen EV, and much, much more.
Friday, October 31, 2008
NASA Dream Experience Deadline
Win Your NASA Dream Experience - Application Deadline December 15, 2008 - Oregon Space Grant Consortium - A team of 2 students (ages 16-20) and an educator/sponsor will earn the opportunity to spend 3 days at either Johnson Space Center or Kennedy Space Center on a job shadow and behind the scenes experience during the spring of 2009.
Your NASA Dream Experience
Your NASA Dream Experience
Location Innovation Awards
Location Innovation Awards - This is an award for location-based services on devices like mobile phones. Since these rely on GPS, they're space prizes as far as I'm concerned. They could be for implementations or ideas. The competition is for New Zealand residents and citizens. The categories are Social Networking, Proximity-based Marketing, Location-based Games, and AA Maps (New Zealand Automobile Association map website) Widget.
Here's a the tag for the Location Innovation Award posts at the GeoSmart Weblog.
The deadline for entries is February 16.
Here's a the tag for the Location Innovation Award posts at the GeoSmart Weblog.
The deadline for entries is February 16.
Space VidVision Contest Deadline
Last Call to Win $3500 Space VidVision Contest! - Space for All - Sunday Nov 2nd Deadline to Submit Your Winning YouTube Video
Team America Rocketry Challenge Deadline
2009 Team America Rocketry Challenge - Registration Deadline December 1, 2008 - Oregon Space Grant Consortium
4-H'ers, you can enter the 2009 Team America Rocketry Challenge - Douglas County Colorado 4-H Blog
4-H'ers, you can enter the 2009 Team America Rocketry Challenge - Douglas County Colorado 4-H Blog
Crazy Green Idea Deadline
Since it's Halloween, I thought I'd do some posts on DEADlines. First is the X PRIZE Foundation's Crazy Green Idea YouTube video contest. On Halloween, that contest title makes me think of the Green Goblin for some reason. Anyway, from the YouTube CGI site:
xprize: Just a reminder, the contest closes on Friday!
...
xprize: Yest, at 11:59:59PM on Friday, the competition will be closed. We will then enter the judging phase of the competition.
xprize: Just a reminder, the contest closes on Friday!
...
xprize: Yest, at 11:59:59PM on Friday, the competition will be closed. We will then enter the judging phase of the competition.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Prizes at Lunar Meeting
The Joint Annual Meeting of LEAG-ICEUM-SRR (Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, International Lunar Exploration Working Group, and Space Resources Roundtable) is in session, and lunar prizes are a part of it. Here's the program (PDF); you'll find a lot of interesting-sounding topics there if you follow the links. On prizes:
COMMERCIAL LUNAR DATA COLLECTION AND LICENSING TO REDUCE EXPLORATION COSTS (PDF) - Astrobotic representatives - I agree that the typical "form/disband" cycle often seen in planetary science missions is wasteful. Let's keep the successful teams together, and if possible leverage the technologies they've demonstrated to the fullest. This approach would be useful even in a non-commercial planetary science environment. Here's part of the abstract that advocates a new way of doing business:
Space agencies traditionally have offered one-time funding events to attract ad hoc teams of academics and aerospace contractors to develop special-purpose hardware to acquire planetary data sets. Following most missions, the team is disbanded and the hardware designs might never be used again. The worldwide interest in sustained lunar activities offers an opportunity to change this paradigm by sustaining stable teams repeatedly using familiar and lunar-tested hardware designs. This will lead to cost savings for the governments seeking lunar data. ... In July 2008, Astrobotic Technology was awarded a NASA contract to study the most effective regolith moving approaches for site preparation prior to emplacement of the agency’s first lunar outpost. It plans to eventually conduct these site prep activities for NASA, other space agencies and commercial entities on a fixed-cost basis.
More from Astrobotic:
Google Lunar X Prize Competitor Plans Series of Moon Landing Missions - Astrobotic Technology Expeditions Will Build Lunar Data Library - SpaceRef - The company today released a White Paper on its data library at the annual combined meeting of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group, the Space Resources Roundtable and the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group. The paper is available on the company's Web site, www.astrobotictech.com. It invites the world's space agencies, aerospace corporations, university researchers and industrial firms to outline which data packages are highest priority for them.
Private Firm Reveals Ambitious Moon Mission Plan - Space.com - A private group planning to launch a moon rover to the famed Apollo 11 landing site in a bid to win a $20 million prize announced an ambitious plan Thursday to send five more spacecraft to explore the lunar poles.
Google Lunar X Prize Competitor Plans Series of Moon Landing Missions - Astrobotic Technology Expeditions Will Build Lunar Data Library - Centre Daily Times
Now on to some other lunar competitors:
INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION (ILOA): 3 MISSION UPDATE -- ILO-X PRECURSOR, ILO-1 POLAR, ILO HUMAN SERVICE MISSION (PDF) - Steve Durst, Space Age Publishing Company - This covers the ILO/Odyssey Moon plan for the Google Lunar X PRIZE mission and follow-on missions.
A Proposal for “The [Insert Sponsor Here] L2 Cup” (PDF) - Proposal: The L2 Cup would be a crewed spacecraft race modeled on offshore sailing races such as the Rolex Fastnet Race or the Volvo Ocean Race blended with certain financial aspects of the America’s Cup. The proposal is directed at private groups such as Space Adventures, Ltd. that could take a leadership role in organizing an event to facilitate commercial and international synergy ... Race Course: The proposed L2 Cup Race would begin in LEO and upon race start the competing spacecraft would proceed to EML-2 where they would perform a mandatory loiter within a specified distance from EML-2. Thereafter, the spacecraft would return to LEO where they would finish the race.
ESA’s Lunar Robotics Challenge (PDF) - ... to develop a robotic vehicle that is capable of overcoming difficult terrain comparable to that at the lunar poles. ... This paper will present the outcome of the challenge, which takes place in week 43 (20-26th October) 2008, i.e. right before the 2008 ICEUM10/LEAG conference.
Contract Incentives for an Open Architecture International Lunar Network Including Google Lunar XPrize (PDF) - ... A variety of scientific instruments that are recognized as elements of a lunar science network might be contractually placed in this manner on private landers. ...
Also of interest:
THE EUROPEAN STUDENT MOON ORBITER (ESMO): A SMALL MISSION FOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND LUNAR SCIENCE (PDF) - The primary objectives of the ESMO mission are (1) to launch the first lunar spacecraft to be designed, built and operated by students across ESA Member and Cooperating States; (2) to place the spacecraft in a lunar orbit; (3) to acquire images of the Moon from a stable lunar orbit and transmit them back to Earth for education outreach purposes; (4) to transfer to a science orbit, and perform niche measurements of interest to lunar science and exploration.
Possibly in conflict with the goal of commercial lunar support is the following: Unpressurized Cargo ORION a Launch Opportunities for Lunar Missions (PDF) - The Orion/Aires I launch vehicle can be used as a launch platform for lunar missions while the Orion is enrooted to the ISS. Studies at the GSFC indicate that a 50 kg payload can be placed in lunar orbit using this launch method.
More GLXP news (I don't know if it was announced at the meeting or not; there are LOTS of abstracts and I didn't check them all):
Odyssey Moon and NASA in partnership - RLV News
LUNAR LANDER DEAL STRUCK - Cosmic Log - more about the Odyssey Moon/NASA deal - Sid Sun, project manager for the Common Spacecraft Bus collaboration at NASA's Ames Research Center, told me that the arrangement calls for Odyssey Moon to pay the space agency as much as $500,000 over the next two years.
COMMERCIAL LUNAR DATA COLLECTION AND LICENSING TO REDUCE EXPLORATION COSTS (PDF) - Astrobotic representatives - I agree that the typical "form/disband" cycle often seen in planetary science missions is wasteful. Let's keep the successful teams together, and if possible leverage the technologies they've demonstrated to the fullest. This approach would be useful even in a non-commercial planetary science environment. Here's part of the abstract that advocates a new way of doing business:
Space agencies traditionally have offered one-time funding events to attract ad hoc teams of academics and aerospace contractors to develop special-purpose hardware to acquire planetary data sets. Following most missions, the team is disbanded and the hardware designs might never be used again. The worldwide interest in sustained lunar activities offers an opportunity to change this paradigm by sustaining stable teams repeatedly using familiar and lunar-tested hardware designs. This will lead to cost savings for the governments seeking lunar data. ... In July 2008, Astrobotic Technology was awarded a NASA contract to study the most effective regolith moving approaches for site preparation prior to emplacement of the agency’s first lunar outpost. It plans to eventually conduct these site prep activities for NASA, other space agencies and commercial entities on a fixed-cost basis.
More from Astrobotic:
Google Lunar X Prize Competitor Plans Series of Moon Landing Missions - Astrobotic Technology Expeditions Will Build Lunar Data Library - SpaceRef - The company today released a White Paper on its data library at the annual combined meeting of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group, the Space Resources Roundtable and the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group. The paper is available on the company's Web site, www.astrobotictech.com. It invites the world's space agencies, aerospace corporations, university researchers and industrial firms to outline which data packages are highest priority for them.
Private Firm Reveals Ambitious Moon Mission Plan - Space.com - A private group planning to launch a moon rover to the famed Apollo 11 landing site in a bid to win a $20 million prize announced an ambitious plan Thursday to send five more spacecraft to explore the lunar poles.
Google Lunar X Prize Competitor Plans Series of Moon Landing Missions - Astrobotic Technology Expeditions Will Build Lunar Data Library - Centre Daily Times
Now on to some other lunar competitors:
INTERNATIONAL LUNAR OBSERVATORY ASSOCIATION (ILOA): 3 MISSION UPDATE -- ILO-X PRECURSOR, ILO-1 POLAR, ILO HUMAN SERVICE MISSION (PDF) - Steve Durst, Space Age Publishing Company - This covers the ILO/Odyssey Moon plan for the Google Lunar X PRIZE mission and follow-on missions.
A Proposal for “The [Insert Sponsor Here] L2 Cup” (PDF) - Proposal: The L2 Cup would be a crewed spacecraft race modeled on offshore sailing races such as the Rolex Fastnet Race or the Volvo Ocean Race blended with certain financial aspects of the America’s Cup. The proposal is directed at private groups such as Space Adventures, Ltd. that could take a leadership role in organizing an event to facilitate commercial and international synergy ... Race Course: The proposed L2 Cup Race would begin in LEO and upon race start the competing spacecraft would proceed to EML-2 where they would perform a mandatory loiter within a specified distance from EML-2. Thereafter, the spacecraft would return to LEO where they would finish the race.
ESA’s Lunar Robotics Challenge (PDF) - ... to develop a robotic vehicle that is capable of overcoming difficult terrain comparable to that at the lunar poles. ... This paper will present the outcome of the challenge, which takes place in week 43 (20-26th October) 2008, i.e. right before the 2008 ICEUM10/LEAG conference.
Contract Incentives for an Open Architecture International Lunar Network Including Google Lunar XPrize (PDF) - ... A variety of scientific instruments that are recognized as elements of a lunar science network might be contractually placed in this manner on private landers. ...
Also of interest:
THE EUROPEAN STUDENT MOON ORBITER (ESMO): A SMALL MISSION FOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND LUNAR SCIENCE (PDF) - The primary objectives of the ESMO mission are (1) to launch the first lunar spacecraft to be designed, built and operated by students across ESA Member and Cooperating States; (2) to place the spacecraft in a lunar orbit; (3) to acquire images of the Moon from a stable lunar orbit and transmit them back to Earth for education outreach purposes; (4) to transfer to a science orbit, and perform niche measurements of interest to lunar science and exploration.
Possibly in conflict with the goal of commercial lunar support is the following: Unpressurized Cargo ORION a Launch Opportunities for Lunar Missions (PDF) - The Orion/Aires I launch vehicle can be used as a launch platform for lunar missions while the Orion is enrooted to the ISS. Studies at the GSFC indicate that a 50 kg payload can be placed in lunar orbit using this launch method.
More GLXP news (I don't know if it was announced at the meeting or not; there are LOTS of abstracts and I didn't check them all):
Odyssey Moon and NASA in partnership - RLV News
LUNAR LANDER DEAL STRUCK - Cosmic Log - more about the Odyssey Moon/NASA deal - Sid Sun, project manager for the Common Spacecraft Bus collaboration at NASA's Ames Research Center, told me that the arrangement calls for Odyssey Moon to pay the space agency as much as $500,000 over the next two years.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Centennial Challenges (especially NG LLC) Update
I'm not going to try to make a big round-up post for the last couple days of Centennial Challenges (mainly Lunar Lander Challenge) news, since I'm a bit short on time. Check HobbySpace/RLV News for a good overview. Here are the ones that seem like the important ones to me:
Briefs: NG-LLC articles; NASA Innovative Project Partnership - RLV News - This includes, among other relevant links, a Space VidCast interview of NASA Centennial Challenge's Andrew Petro. The interview covers most of the Centennial Challenges; I think only MoonROx and General Aviation Challenge were left out. It also covered other commercially-oriented work that NASA IPP does. He notes that they have some ideas for new prizes for next year ... but of course they'd need to have money to fund them. The interview was around half an hour.
An open source lunar lander - RLV News - In addition to the thought-provoking main subject of the post, there's a a link to a detailed recap of recent events by John Carmack. Among other things, he invites TrueZerO to the aRocket forum.
TrueZer0 wrap-up - RLV News - Hopefully they'll be able to continue with the LLC next year. There's a lot of global media and blog coverage of the 2008 LLC - I see it swamping my In Box each day. I've only linked to a small part of it these past few days. Hopefully this coverage translates into more sponsorship opportunities for them, and for the other teams.
Briefs: NG-LLC articles; NASA Innovative Project Partnership - RLV News - This includes, among other relevant links, a Space VidCast interview of NASA Centennial Challenge's Andrew Petro. The interview covers most of the Centennial Challenges; I think only MoonROx and General Aviation Challenge were left out. It also covered other commercially-oriented work that NASA IPP does. He notes that they have some ideas for new prizes for next year ... but of course they'd need to have money to fund them. The interview was around half an hour.
An open source lunar lander - RLV News - In addition to the thought-provoking main subject of the post, there's a a link to a detailed recap of recent events by John Carmack. Among other things, he invites TrueZerO to the aRocket forum.
TrueZer0 wrap-up - RLV News - Hopefully they'll be able to continue with the LLC next year. There's a lot of global media and blog coverage of the 2008 LLC - I see it swamping my In Box each day. I've only linked to a small part of it these past few days. Hopefully this coverage translates into more sponsorship opportunities for them, and for the other teams.
ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge Results
A few days ago I posted on the ESA Lunar Robotics Challenge. Now Spaceref has the results.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NG LLC Secret: Testing and Testing and More Testing
Lunar lander challenge won at last - New Scientist (Henry Spencer) - After giving an overview of the NG LLC and the 2008 event, Henry Spencer explains why the thing is so hard to win.
Lunar Site Preservation
Preserving Tranquility - Seed - Should the sites of lunar landings be protected as part of our cultural inheritance?
Here's Buzz Aldrin's perspective:
As part of his Apollo 11 moonwalk, Buzz Aldrin deployed a solar-powered seismometer near the spacecraft. "The seismometer experimenter told me, 'After you deploy the solar panels in the sunlight, don't walk in front of them, or you might interrupt the flow of electricity and damage things,'" Aldrin recalls. "Well, if you look very carefully in front of those panels, you'll see some footprints there. I guess I wouldn't mind too much if somebody went up there to brush those away."
Here's Buzz Aldrin's perspective:
As part of his Apollo 11 moonwalk, Buzz Aldrin deployed a solar-powered seismometer near the spacecraft. "The seismometer experimenter told me, 'After you deploy the solar panels in the sunlight, don't walk in front of them, or you might interrupt the flow of electricity and damage things,'" Aldrin recalls. "Well, if you look very carefully in front of those panels, you'll see some footprints there. I guess I wouldn't mind too much if somebody went up there to brush those away."
Monday, October 27, 2008
Post Lunar Lander Challenge #2 - October 27, 2008
Today there's an even bigger mountain of news articles and blog posts on the Lunar Lander Challenge. This is just a sample:
'Doom' creator wins first stage of lunar challenge - CNet News
Ontario Fireball; Desert Rover Tests - AccuWeather.com Astronomy Weather Blog - The title doesn't indicate it, but it starts off with the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander challenge.
Armadillo Lander Captures Lunar X PRIZE Level One, but $1.65 Million Proves Elusive - Popular Mechanics - Like the AccuWeather post, this one also covers the rover tests in the Arizona desert.
Dueling Murphy - The Space Review - Jeff Foust gives a detailed account of the event.
You know rockets have taken over your life when... - Unreasonable Rocket
Performance Dreams and Spread sheets.... - Unreasonable Rocket looking ahead to next year
Briefs: NASA and NG-LLC; Astrium spacejet update; Garriott news conference - RLV News - This includes the NASA LLC press release.
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Recap - Day 2 - The Launch Pad
All the launches, as they happened - The Launch Pad - I think I've linked to these already, but here they are all together.
With all of these (and many other) articles, I wonder if anyone is thinking about writing a Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge book?
'Doom' creator wins first stage of lunar challenge - CNet News
Ontario Fireball; Desert Rover Tests - AccuWeather.com Astronomy Weather Blog - The title doesn't indicate it, but it starts off with the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander challenge.
Armadillo Lander Captures Lunar X PRIZE Level One, but $1.65 Million Proves Elusive - Popular Mechanics - Like the AccuWeather post, this one also covers the rover tests in the Arizona desert.
Dueling Murphy - The Space Review - Jeff Foust gives a detailed account of the event.
You know rockets have taken over your life when... - Unreasonable Rocket
Performance Dreams and Spread sheets.... - Unreasonable Rocket looking ahead to next year
Briefs: NASA and NG-LLC; Astrium spacejet update; Garriott news conference - RLV News - This includes the NASA LLC press release.
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Recap - Day 2 - The Launch Pad
All the launches, as they happened - The Launch Pad - I think I've linked to these already, but here they are all together.
With all of these (and many other) articles, I wonder if anyone is thinking about writing a Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge book?
A False Chill
False Chill from Lunar Ice Reports - Astrobotic on Google Lunar X PRIZE teams site - Results from the Japanese lunar orbiter that no ice lakes exist at the lunar poles were what most experts expected it to find. ... Surface rovers, such as those Astrobotic will operate, will be able to directly confirm the presence of water (and/or other volatiles delivered by cometary impacts) as well as whether there are local concentrations of volatiles that would be more rewarding to recover.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Post Lunar Lander Challenge - October 26, 2008
SpaceVidcast interviews and clips at NG-LLC - RLV News - The interviews include Armadillo, TrueZero, and SpeedUp. I thought I recognized Bob Steinke (who I've seen give a couple talks on SpeedUp) when looking through one of the Launch Pad photo collections a day or 2 ago, and apparently I was right. I haven't caught up with the other videos yet, but the Steinke interview was pretty informative; at least I learned a couple things from it.
Briefs: X PRIZE NG-LLC press release; Mod videos - RLV News
Briefs: A happy Armadillo; NG-LLC team response - RLV News - The responses include BonNova and Phoenicia. A good portion of the past and present LLC teams were either at the event or posting about it.
Video: John Carmack Interview - Personal Spaceflight - Jeff interviews John
Video: Ken Davidian and ISPCS - Personal Spaceflight - Jeff interviews Ken at a career milestone
LLC Day 2 images and wrapup - This includes a collection of photos.
Goodbye from Las Cruces - The Launch Pad
Photo Album: 2008 NGLLC Day Two - The Launch Pad - The X PRIZE folks have their own set of pictures to view.
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Recap, Day 1 - The Launch Pad - video
Briefs: X PRIZE NG-LLC press release; Mod videos - RLV News
Briefs: A happy Armadillo; NG-LLC team response - RLV News - The responses include BonNova and Phoenicia. A good portion of the past and present LLC teams were either at the event or posting about it.
Video: John Carmack Interview - Personal Spaceflight - Jeff interviews John
Video: Ken Davidian and ISPCS - Personal Spaceflight - Jeff interviews Ken at a career milestone
LLC Day 2 images and wrapup - This includes a collection of photos.
Goodbye from Las Cruces - The Launch Pad
Photo Album: 2008 NGLLC Day Two - The Launch Pad - The X PRIZE folks have their own set of pictures to view.
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Recap, Day 1 - The Launch Pad - video
Saturday, October 25, 2008
CMU Robotics Anniversaries
CMU's 'Red' Whittaker dominates field - Pittsburgh Tribute-Review - This covers the 25th anniversary of the Field Robotics Center and Red's 60th birthday. GPS-guided robotics in agriculture, the DARPA Urban Challenge, and the Google Lunar X PRIZE are part of the overview.
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