New Prizes

Nasa has just released a bunch more centennial challenge prizes.

The Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge: to place a small satellite into Earth orbit, twice in one week. The prize purse is $2 million.

Night Rover Challenge: to demonstrate a solar-powered exploration vehicle that can operate in darkness using its own stored energy. The prize purse is $1.5 million.

Sample Return Robot Challenge: to demonstrate a robot that can locate and retrieve geologic samples from a wide and varied terrain without human control. The prize purse is $1.5 million.


http://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/innovat ... index.html


Be interesting to see if any existing teams/companies take up any of these challenges and what new comers it will bring in


Iain

Now there's a coincidence. I was just thinking, after seeing an article http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/jonathanamos/2010/06/planning-for-mars-sample-retur.shtml on the BBC website about the 'skycrane' planned to drop the next rover on Mars, that a new prize could be launched to simulate the skycrane on earth.

I was thinking along the lines of a craft that can lift up a rover, carry it for a certain distance, then soft land it, then fly away to land itself safely at a distance. Really just a modifications of the Lunar lander challenge, but requiring multiple engine control, and some really quite accurate maneuvering ability.

I actually wanted to do a skycrane as a stunt at MSS. It wouldn't be very hard, if you already have the vehicle. I still think it's a dumb plan for Mars, though.

I find the orbital competition interesting, as you might guess, but the prize is too small. It'll be won incidentally.