Contests and Games, Education, Living in Space

NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition on May 20-24 at KSC

NASA posts an update on the Lunabotics Mining Competition for students:

NASA Invites Media to Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Fifty teams of undergraduate and graduate students from around the world will demonstrate their lunar excavator robots May 20 – 24 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Practice sessions for the fourth annual Lunabotics Mining Competition will take place May 20 – 21, followed by the official competition. Media representatives are invited to cover the event on Wednesday, May 22 from 12 – 4 p.m. EDT, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. For access to the facility, journalists should contact Catherine Segar at 321-449-4273 or csegar@dncinc.com. Requests for interviews with NASA representatives must be submitted to Tracy Young at 321-867-2468 or tracy.g.young@nasa.gov.

The teams have designed and built remote controlled or autonomous robots that can excavate simulated lunar dirt. During the competition, the teams’ designs — known as lunabots — will go head-to-head to determine which machine can collect and move the most simulated lunar dirt within a specific amount of time.

The competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate project designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields by expanding opportunities for student research and design. The project provides a competitive environment to foster innovative ideas and solutions that could potentially be applied to future NASA missions.

Although the competition is for college students, the event offers many opportunities for students of all ages. NASA is hosting a college recruitment fair for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors showcasing STEM education opportunities available at top colleges and universities across the nation.

For more information on Lunabotics 2013, associated activities and social media links to participate virtually, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lunabotics

Video highlights of the practice and competition will air on the NASA Television Video File. For downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For information about the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, visit: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com

Space Policy

Space policy roundup – May.6.13

The Sunday episode of The Space Show interviewed Hu Davis and Bill Ketchum about “space infrastructure, SSP [Space Solar Power], SLS, Falcon Heavy, reusability, space policy and U.S. space leadership”: Hu Davis and William (Bill) Ketchum, Sunday, 5-5-13 – TheSpaceShow’s Blog

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Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe includes support for commercial space and the Wallops Island spaceport in his platform: Virginia’s McAuliffe boosts Wallops Island commercial spaceport in gubernatorial bid – Spaceports Blog

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Res Communis posts the latest collection of space and aviation related law, regulation and policy links: Library: A Round-up of Reading.

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Jeff Foust reviews the initial Congressional hearings on the President’s proposed 2014 budget for NASA: Drawing the battle lines for NASA’s 2014 budget – The Space Review.

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Christopher M. Stone responds to a recent Space Safety Magazine editorial regarding export controls and international collaboration: NASA, export control, and collaboration: a bit of clarification – The Space Review

Rockets

NASA Morpheus Project resumes tests with new lander

The NASA JSC Project Morpheus has begun testing its new vertical-take-off and landing vehicle. (The previous vehicle was destroyed in a crash during a test flight in August of 2012):  And So We Begin Again – Project Morpheus Blog

The roar of a 5,000lb rocket engine has returned to the Johnson Space Center. The Morpheus team has completed the build-up of our “Bravo” vehicle, conducted numerous integrated tests, and has now stepped into our flight test program. We are picking up where we left off – in fact we never stopped working. We have completed our first major milestone in conducting a 50-second static hot fire of the main engine in the vehicle, including simultaneous demonstration of thrust vector control (TVC) and integrated methane reaction control system (RCS) jet firings. Thrust vector control is used to balance and fly the vehicle, while the RCS jets are used to keep the vehicle pointed in the correct direction. We will step into dynamic tethered flights soon, in preparation for our return to KSC this summer.

Continue…

Activism, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week

Here’s a list of the programs scheduled for The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, May 6, 2013: 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): We welcome back MICHAEL LISTNER, ATTY, for space legal issues including the subject of space debris.

[ Update: Presentation files in support of Mr. Listner’s discussion of space debris: Michael Listner, Monday, 5-6-13 –  Thespaceshow’s Blog.]

2. Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EDT, 9-10:30 PM CDT): This is a special program honoring both 2,000 plus Space Show programs & our upcoming 12th anniversary. The format is a surprise but as I understand it, specific Space Show friends & guests will be running this program. For more information, check out the website newsletter at www.thespaceshow.com/newsletterfinal.htm.

3. Friday, May 10, 2013, 9:30-11 AM PDT (12:30-2 PM EDT, 11:30AM-1PM CDT): We welcome DR. FRANK CEPOLLINA of NASA. Among our topics will be servicing satellites in Geo. Visit http://ssco.gsfc.nasa.gov/bio-cepollina.html for more information.

4. SPECIAL SHOW: Friday, May 10, 2013:, 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5::30 PM CDT). We welcome back BAS LANSDORP OF MARS ONE for updates and news.

5. Sunday, May 12, 2013, 12-1:30 PM PDT, 3-4:30 PM EDT, 2-3:30 PM CDT. NO SHOW IN HONOR OF MOTHER’S DAY.

See also:
/– The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
/– The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
/– The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

Everyone can participate in space