Page 1 of 2 |
[ 25 posts ] |
I'm forming a team
Author | Message |
---|---|
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Ok, I've decided to form a team to compete for the Google Lunar X Prize!
![]() Structures Propulsion Software RF Antenna Controls/Dynamics Power Mechanisms Thermal Management I plan to ask people mostly from my company as well as perhaps some friends I know at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Once the team is assembled I plan to approach upper management about funding this project. I'll post more news as new items develop. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2003 8:46 pm
Posts: 1218 Location: Kapellen, Antwerp, Belgium, Europe, Planet Earth, the Milky Way Galaxy ![]() |
I hope you succeed! and I hope you keep us all informed
![]() _________________ Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. - Lord Kelvin, 1892 Last edited by Sigurd on Mon Nov 19, 2007 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total. |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 11:52 am
Posts: 1401 Location: Exeter, Devon, England ![]() |
If a team is wanting to enter is there a requirement needed? Do they then approach the X-Prize with a report or something similar?
|
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Sigurd wrote: I hope you succeed! and I hope you keep us all informed ![]() I'll definitely post updates as they come. In time I'm sure we will have a website/blog up and running. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! Last edited by Rocket Scientist on Thu Nov 22, 2007 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Rob Goldsmith wrote: If a team is wanting to enter is there a requirement needed? Do they then approach the X-Prize with a report or something similar? There is a formal registration process. There is a $10,000 registration fee. You can get the details for registration and rules by emailing a request at glxp-team@xprize.org or by mail: X PRIZE Foundation Attn: Google Lunar X PRIZE 1441 4th Street Suite 200 Santa Monica, CA 90401 USA _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Spaceflight Trainee ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:26 pm
Posts: 33 ![]() |
It should be very exciting to see what the next few years bring!
Best of luck to you and your Team Adam! Mike |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2004 11:52 am
Posts: 1401 Location: Exeter, Devon, England ![]() |
Be sure to keep a lot of your updates here for us
![]() Have you thought about how you will raise the registration money or is this something you already have available? Will be interested to hear how you find getting registered! Look forward to the part after that though! Rob |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Michael Joyce wrote: It should be very exciting to see what the next few years bring! Best of luck to you and your Team Adam! Mike Thanks Mike! We'll definitely keep in touch. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! Last edited by Rocket Scientist on Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total. |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Rob Goldsmith wrote: Be sure to keep a lot of your updates here for us ![]() Have you thought about how you will raise the registration money or is this something you already have available? Will be interested to hear how you find getting registered! Look forward to the part after that though! Rob I am putting together a presentation to give to Loral's upper management. As part of the presentation I will cover the registration fee and ask if Loral would pay for the registration fee. There is precedent here at Loral for funding engineering projects. From 1997-2003 Loral funded a solar car that competed in international competition. Solar cars are not cheap, with millions of dollars of needed for development and fabrication. Loral didn't give so much in actual cash funding but they did support the team by allowing them to use Loral facilities for fabrication and testing and Loral generously gave over a million dollars in materials, (composite materials, solar cell arrays, battery technology, usage of analysis software like FEA, thermal, etc). To me this is basically the same as receiving a lot of money. IMO Loral has all the facilities needed to design, build, and test a lunar rover and lander. We have various thermal vacuum chambers, vibrations' labs, mass properties labs, propulsion labs, etc. So I'm hoping Loral will come through for us (crosses fingers) _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Moderator ![]() ![]()
Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2004 11:23 am
Posts: 3745 Location: Hamburg, Germany ![]() |
What about the idea of a particular General Forum about it? Like for The Microwave-concept for example?
Hello, Sigurd, what do you think about it? Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist) |
Back to top |
![]() |
Moon Mission Member ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2003 8:46 pm
Posts: 1218 Location: Kapellen, Antwerp, Belgium, Europe, Planet Earth, the Milky Way Galaxy ![]() |
For now this forum of Google lunar X PRIZE is still quite small, but if Adam wants to have his own forum (and he plans to actively use it). I'm all for it. Adam would you like to have one ?
_________________ Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. - Lord Kelvin, 1892 |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Sigurd wrote: For now this forum of Google lunar X PRIZE is still quite small, but if Adam wants to have his own forum (and he plans to actively use it). I'm all for it. Adam would you like to have one ? I think perhaps we should wait until I have some firm funding and have a good idea that we will actually build the rover. I wouldn't want you to start a forum just for my team and then the team dies a few months later. For now I can use this thread to post updates and perhaps early next year we can revisit the forum idea. I am most definitely open to forum idea though. This week I spent time asking some Loral employees if they are interested in joining the team. All three showed varying interest. I hope to hear back from them next week. The most common questions I have been asked is about funding and time commitment. I've also been researching information and gathering data. I obtained a copy of the Space Falcon 1 User's Guide and the the Eurocket launch vehicle User's Guide. I also found some good books on rover and lander design on the astrobooks.com website. I think this book will be especially useful. http://www.amazon.com/Planetary-Landers ... 812&sr=1-1 I've also been trying to find technical information on the two USSR Lunokhod robotic rovers, especially the Luna 17 lunar lander used to soft land these rovers. Anyway that's been my week so far. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
It looks like finding team members is a slower process than I thought. Not everyone is as enthusiastic about this competition as I thought they would be. I've always loved everything about space since I was a child and I read about the NASA astronauts, the X-15 pilots, and Project Daedalus I grew up on the low budget science fiction shows like Star Trek and Space: 1999. Space was always this magical fantasy land to me. As I near 40 I still have the same sense of awe that I did as a child. I've come to realize that most people, even engineers working for an aerospace company, don't necessarily feel the same way about space travel.
![]() I've asked about 7-8 people about joining and the average replay has been lukewarm at best. That has been a bit disappointing but I'll be patient and I will wait to see what happens. I plan to ask several other people as well. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! |
Back to top |
![]() |
Spaceflight Trainee ![]() ![]()
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 5:26 pm
Posts: 33 ![]() |
Rocket Scientist wrote: I've asked about 7-8 people about joining and the average replay has been lukewarm at best. That has been a bit disappointing but I'll be patient and I will wait to see what happens. I plan to ask several other people as well. This is no small task you are asking them to participate in. The project will likely suck up every spare minute they have for the next 3-5 years. If they are worth their salt they must realize this fact. Unless you are prepared to compensate them (regardless of win/loss) as their employer I expect they will be realistic and decline. Even with comparable compensation they are still looking at leaving a good career for a speculative endeavor, after which, they will have to find another job. You may still hope to find the rare "widely enthusiastic" engineers but you may need to broaden your search beyond your company. These engineers would work for the fun/glory/love of the project and I think these types (such as your self) are best fit for this project. The key (after locating them) will be the effective coordination of a geographically separated design team. Mike |
Back to top |
![]() ![]() |
Space Walker ![]() ![]()
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:28 am
Posts: 189 Location: Northern California ![]() |
Ok, here's an update.
I stumbled across a group of four engineers in the propulsion engineering group that had also formed a team. We met and decided to combine teams. They had done some preliminary mass budget analysis and delta-v calculations. I spoke to my supervisor about this competition and he suggested I speak to an engineering manager. So I met with this man and we had a productive conversation. He was very positive and supportive of us competing for the Google Lunar X Prize. We spoke about several aspects of the project. He told me that he wants us to write up a proposal and that he would take it to a "spokesman" who is responsible with marketing our company in the aerospace industry. This "spokeman" would present our proposal to upper management. We've also contacted the CEO of a company that make HD space rated cameras as well. So things are moving along. Getting our proposal to upper manageemnt is our biggest task for now. Hopefully with hard work and a well written proposal we can convice upper management to sponsor us. _________________ Something is impossible until it isn't! Last edited by Rocket Scientist on Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:11 pm, edited 1 time in total. |
Back to top |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Page 1 of 2 |
[ 25 posts ] |
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests |