Category Archives: Contests and Games

Contests and Games, Space Arts, Space Settlement

NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement Art Contest

The National Space Society is sponsoring a student art contest:

NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement Student Art Contest

O’Neill Cylinder space settlement by Rick Guidice [NASA]

The National Space Society (NSS) is looking for student artists to create illustrations for the NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement. Submitted artwork should realistically illustrate at least one of the Milestones in the Roadmap document.

All students at any grade level between the ages of 10 and 25 are eligible. Submitted artwork is intended to be used by NSS to promote a future of humans living and working in space and may be used on the NSS website, Ad Astra magazine, and/or a future calendar (we hope to publish a future Space Settlement Calendar with this art work, but that is not yet certain).

Original artwork from entries submitted to the NSS/NASA Space Settlement Design Contest (including previous years) is especially encouraged.

Deadline

The due date is April 22, 2013 (11:59 pm Pacific Time). Our goal is to have winners announced on May 1, 2013.

Prizes

One piece of art will be awarded the Grand Prize for being the best artwork overall.

Up to 12 (twelve) entries will be selected as First Prize recipients from different grade level categories. These include grades 5-8, 9-12, undergraduate, and graduate.

Other additional pieces of art may be selected for Honorable Mention.

All accepted entries will receive certificates of participation. All winning entries will receive certificates of merit and the following prizes (more prizes may be added to this list during the contest).

The Grand Prize winner will receive:

  • Publication on the cover of the National Space Society magazine, Ad Astra
  • An award certificate at the annual International Space Development Conference
  • Complimentary registration to the 2013 International Space Development Conference in San Diego, California (does not include travel, accommodations, meals, etc.)
  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • 5 complimentary copies of the Ad Astra magazine the art work is featured on
  • Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published), including being a finalist for the cover art for such calendar
  • 5 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

Each First Prize winner will receive:

  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • Publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar (if published)
  • 2 complimentary copies of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

Any Honorable Mention winners will receive:

  • 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine
  • Possible publication in a future National Space Society Space Settlement Calendar
  • A complimentary copy of any future Space Settlement Calendar featuring the work
  • Publication on the NSS website “Winner’s Gallery” for this contest
  • Possible publication in the various forms of web, banners, posters, brochures, and/or other NSS Roadmap to Space Settlement publications

The works of art accepted to the NSS Space Settlement Art Contest will be on public display in the Gallery of Submitted Space Settlement Art.

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Contests and Games, Simulators

LEO – Low Earth Orbit: 2D spaceflight mission simulator

A message about a new game for iPad, Android and Kindle.:

200 CLICKS UP… 17,000 MILES PER HOUR

LEO-LowEarthOrbit

LEO – LowEarthOrbit  is a prerequisite for wannabe space pilots, a place where the rules work differently than here on Earth. Don’t feel bad if you don’t get it straight away…

 Back in 1965 Gemini astronaut Jim McDivitt attempted the world’s first orbital rendezvous. 

After reaching orbit, 17000 miles per hour through the black sky, he aimed his capsule toward a discarded booster and squeezed on some thrust. He expected the booster to grow in his windscreen, but it got smaller.  Jim tried again – test pilots don’t give up easy – until all of his spare fuel was expended.

The laws of physics did not seem to apply! They learned an important truth that day racing around our planet… the faster you go, the further you will fall behind.

You’ll be able to try this stuff, and more.  LEO – Low Earth Orbit is a game for your iPad, Android tablet or computer. It lets you fly in space, learning hands-on the lessons of orbital mechanics that confounded the early astronauts. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, but you are going to need perseverance!

You’ll cover simple lessons, like how and when to fire your engine to make your elliptical orbit circular. How do you transfer from one circular orbit to another? How do you get back to Earth? That’s kind of important, to your family at least, and all space odysseys start with training!

Get that stuff squared away and we’ll give you some real work to do. Space Station rendezvous sounds easy but it isn’t. Docking isn’t so bad, and giving the Station a push out to a new orbit should be a piece of cake.

Occasionally one of those crazy space walking astronauts needs rescuing, and then there’s the space junk — debris left up there by people who don’t treat space like a National Park . Darned dangerous stuff, and you’ll want to get out of the way.  Who needs a collision at 8 kilometres per second?

Luckily, the geniuses at head office have got a plan. Have you heard of the Space Junk bounty? They’ll be putting missiles on your ship so you can blast some of that debris into space-dust. I’m sure there’s nothing at all wrong with that plan!

So it’s time to fire up LEO – Low Earth Orbit and get to work. Pay attention to your lessons because wishful thinking will not save you, and physics doesn’t care who your Daddy is!

Visit LEO-LowEarthOrbit.com for release data, product information, media resources and the LEO blog.

Activism, Contests and Games, Space participation

Uwingu contest for naming closest known exoplanet

Uwingu is sponsoring a contest to suggest a name for the nearest exoplanet found so far:  A public name for ‘Bb’: Opening the naming of the closest planet to our solar system to the people of Earth! – Uwingu

Astronomers have discovered evidence for thousands of planets orbiting distant stars. But all of these planets have only technical names, such as ’Alpha Centauri Bb,’ not memorable ones like the planets in our own solar system.

Uwingu is announcing a contest for the people of Earth to name the closest known exoplanet (planet around another star)!

Anyone can nominate a name—or as many names as you like. The name with the highest number of votes for it on April 15th will be announced as the winner! And what’s more, we’ll be giving out a series of prizes to the namers (that’s you!) of any name that gets at least 100 votes, names that get 1,000 votes, names that get 10,000 votes, and the top vote getter of all.

During the competition you’ll need to work your magic to encourage votes from your social networks, blog followers, friends, family, employers…everyone! And its for a great cause—Uwingu is creating The Uwingu Fund to accelerate space research and education, and we’re already making grants.

Get Started!

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More about the program and the plan to send some of the money raised to support NASA outreach projects:

Contests and Games, Space camps & hands on sims, Space films and videos

Space camp contest for girls

Girls 9 to 18 can enter a video contest at GirlsLife for a chance to win a trip to Space Camp:

Film a 3-minute audition video that shows off your unique personality, your sense of adventure and your impressive vlogging skills. Make sure to introduce yourself and demonstrate how well you’d be able to film your Space Camp adventure.

Deadline to enter is April 4, 2013.

“Plus, every girl who enters will receive a $100 off her Space Camp tuition.”

Contests and Games, Simulators

Update on Mars Colony Challenger – vote for it for Steam

Mars Colony Challenger from HyperKat Games, mentioned here the other day, has been posted on the Steam Greenlight site where it can be voted on for inclusion in the Steam store’s online collection of games for sale: Steam Greenlight :: Mars Colony: Challenger.

Description
Mars Colony: Challenger is a 3D first / third person game that offers you the challenge of setting up a remote base on the surface of Mars. At its core, the game was derived from a simulator where everything is interactively tied together. You will have to setup and maintain the equipment that supplies pressure and a breathable atmosphere to the base. You are also tasked with growing food, setting up communications and extracting resources in order to make the base self-sufficient. The game offers three zones, each with their unique challenges. There are 7 phases to each mission. Each of the phases expands the base and offers a new set of orders for you to complete. You advance through the ranks as you score points for your performance.

Here is a video displaying various features of the program: