Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Prize Roundup: NSS Beam Team, Updates on Three Big Lunar Prizes, Solar Decathalon, Rockets Art, more

Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge

@unrocket - Hardware should be fixed by end of Day. Likely going out to Test Tuesday Night.

Vehicle assembled again with stronger brace, the pitch actuator is bent, apart once more, got to go to work for a few hours on day job.

@ngllc09 - Great new post on the @mastenspace blog with pics of the Level 2 landing pad: http://bit.ly/eLV9B #ngllc

750-3 Engine Module Development Update - Masten Space Systems

Google Lunar X PRIZE

@omegaenvoy - Very productive day working on the @OE_rover design, everything is looking really good! #GLXP

@OdysseyMoon - CBC's "The Hour" talk show with @Bob_Richards, Odyssey Moon & the Google Lunar X PRIZE http://bit.ly/pkwyJ @GLXP

@teamfrednet - You can follow the creation of our new #GLXP mission sequence animation on our wiki: http://bit.ly/AB13j

@pomerantz - Next up: Google Lunar X PRIZE team Italia! They will review their specific mission, then I'll cover the rest of the competition. #iac2009

(Will has a number of other tweets on the Team Italia presentations).

@nextgiantleap - Nice mention of NGL at SIS7 by John Hoyt of Near Earth LLC (see pg. 8 of this pdf: http://bit.ly/osID0 ) #GLXP teams are well positioned.

Beam Power/Tether Climber Challenge

@segames - Here at TRUMPF in Plymouth, Michigan with the team from NSS. They're hoping to qualify for the upcoming competition. Setting up now.

... lots of intervening tweets with all of the details ...

NSS has now provisionally qualified to compete in the Games. More details on the Blog later.

NSS Testing at TRUMPF - Day 1 - The Space Elevator Blog has more details on the first steps towards the NSS qualification.

It’s On! - Space Elevator Blog, referring to the 2009 Climber/Power Beaming competition

Up to Four Teams to Compete for $2,000,000 in Space Elevator Games - The Space Elevator Reference

Regolith Excavation Challenge

@regolith_chal - Ah! The exhibit displays from @nasaprize just arrived.

Exciting to get some more inquiries from the media today.

@glxp - .@NLSI We'll be at the @Regolith_Chal this weekend too! 23 teams, looks awesome. Who else will be there?

Energy/Environment Prizes

Secretary Chu on the Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon - Office of Science & Technology Policy

Solar Decathlon Brochure Available - Office of Science & Technology Policy

@progautoxp - Stay tuned for exciting #PIAXP news to be announced next week.

@tedprize - TEDsters on Colbert Report this week: Tonight @ShashiTharoor (he'll speak at TEDIndia) tomorrow @tedprize winner Sylvia Earle (via @TEDNews)

Other Prize News

10,000 Rockets art contest - Space for All

More Nobels? ~ Systems Sciences & Applications - Maximizing Progress

Open Innovation on Hyperdrive - Perspectives on Innovation (Innocentive blog)