SFS news: N-Prize Rule Update

I didn't see it get harder? Where did it get harder?

Just spoke to Paul about the current rules, he emailed me with:

As you can see from the Google site, we've had some turbulence but things are now calm and back on track, with twice the fun and two categories of N-Prize. I'll formalize things as soon as I get a chance

Should be good! il try fid some more info!

Rob

It didn't get harder. If you use re-useable, recovered launch vehicles - now they don't count against your budget. Basically the only thing that would count against the budget is fuel.

Rob, as I understand it, the only difference is one category is for re-usable vehicles not counting against the budget and the other is for everything that leaves the ground counting against the budget.

If you can recover and reuse 100% of all stages of an orbital launch vehicle, then you absolutely deserve the Thousand Pounds. A Thousand Pounds of Gold.

I'll take you up on that one This Rule Change is a huge difference and a big advantage if used properly. If you made your own alcohol and Liquid oxygen you could almost get into orbit with a standard rocket! Almost I wonder if I could liquefy Methane cheaply myself?

Monroe
Team Prometheus

Hi all,

I'm a little behind on things, as I'm currently travelling and touching base when I get the chance. So, please take this as an interim statement pending more detailed reports!

Briefly, yes, the N-Prize now includes two categories (to be embodied in revised rules as soon as I get the chance to do so). Briefly, the first category ("single-spend to orbit" until I come up with a better name) adheres to the original rules as posted: everything that leaves the ground has to have a cost of £999.99 or less. This is just about impossible, so I'm pretty sure someone will do it.

The second category ("reusable vehicle") allows the spend to be over £999.99, as long as the cost "per mission" remains within the £999.99 budget. In other words, for this category the £999.99 has to cover the cost of refuelling, refurbishing etc, and of replacing any non-recovered or non-reusable components (such as the satellite itself).

There's a long story (involving, amongst other things, a goof on my part) behind the decision to offer two categories, but I think the end result will be win-win.

Incidentally, each prize is £9,999.99 (as before), and the two prizes carry equal status. The prizes will be awarded to the first successful entrant in each category.

Watch this space!
Paul

Did you just double the Prize money being fronted? If so, good show man!

Yep, total prize money is now doubled. I'm hoping both prizes will be won, but I'm guessing that the single-spend-to-orbit prize is the tougher, and therefore more likely to be won within the timeframe.

Guys

If you missed it, Paul has uploaded a draft of the new rule changes.

You can view the draft uploaded here

Here is a caption:

One prize (the "single-spend-to-orbit", or "SSO" Prize) will be awarded to the first entrant to complete the challenge using a non-reusable launch system. The other prize (the "reuseable vehicle" or "RV" Prize) will be awarded to the first entrant to complete the challenge using a partially or wholly reuable launch system. Both prizes carry equal status.

Looking good eh!

More like N-Prizes, as opposed to N-Prize now i guess

The new rules are up at the N-Prize site

Dear All,

As Rob pointed out, the new rules are now up on the N-Prize site. The revisions allow for not one but TWO prizes, both of equal status and each with the original prize money of £9,999.99.

The "SSO" (single spend to orbit) prize adheres to the rules originally posted for the N-Prize, requiring everything that leaves the ground to be produced for £999.99 or less.

The "RV" (reusable vehicle) prize allows entrants to spend as much as they like on hardware, but they must demonstrate recoverability of some or all of the hardware, and must have a per-launch cost of £999.99 or less.

I hope that the additional prize will drive further innovation and will inspire more teams to join this madcap pursuit. Already, we've seen an upturn in new entries, with entrants split between the two categories.

To insanity and beyond!
Paul

Paul has posted a small change regarding currency conversions:

Old rule 14:
14. Currency Conversion. Expenditure in foreign currencies will be
converted to £UKstg, based on the exchange rate published in the
London Financial Times on the day the entrant first registers for the
N-Prize (see 'How to Enter'). Please note that the prize itself will
be paid only in UK pounds sterling.

New rule 14:
14. Currency Conversion. For teams whose national currency is not
Pounds Sterling, the exchange rate which is used in determining the
allowable budget (equivalent to £999.99) will be the highest (best)
exchange rate which their national currency has attained, during the
first 9 months of the competition (ie, between 9th April 2008 and 9th
January 2009, inclusive), using the closing mid-price against the
Pound as published in the London Financial Times.

If teams purchase items in currencies other than their own, then the
contribution to their budget will be based on the actual exchange rate
at the time of purchase including any commissions etc. For example,
if a US team buys a French component at a cost of 50 Euros using a
credit card, and if the final charge made by the credit card company
(including transaction fees etc) is $62, then that component will be
counted as having cost $62.

Please note that the prizes will be paid only in Pounds Sterling.

One rule I'd like to see changed: the upper weight limit. Remove the need for the payload to weigh less than 19.99 grams. If a team manages to orbit 1kg for less than £999.99 per mission, then I seeno reason why they shouldn't get the prize. They've done better than NASA

Well, yes and no. If you can launch a kilo you can launch 19.99 grams, and half of fun is seeing what you can pack into a matchbox.