NASA Needs Prize Contest Ideas

Michael Huang writes "If you like the idea of tech contests--think ANSARI X PRIZE and DARPA Grand Challenge--and you also like space, then NASA wants you. It needs ideas (and rules) for the Centennial Challenges, prize contests with $20 million funding in 2005. Current ideas (download Excel spreadsheet) include: Mars and asteroid microspacecraft missions, lunar robotic landing, robotic triathalon, rover survivor, Antarctic rover traverse and extreme environment computer. Wikipedia has good coverage."

Comments

I'm currently working on microspacecraft

[phats garage]

I live in an area with lots of tall pines. My plan is to make the worlds biggest slingshot. So far I'm a bit short of orbital velocity, so I might apply for some money to get better rubber bands.

Lander Fear Factor!

[Himring]

Current ideas (download Excel spreadsheet) include: Mars and asteroid microspacecraft missions, lunar robotic landing, robotic triathalon, rover survivor, Antarctic rover traverse and extreme environment computer.

And Lander Fear Factor! The rover has to drink a wicked puree of something a rover would find revolting....

Begging for money

[NonSequor]

How about a contest to find the best method of begging congress for money? It pays for itself!

Ok, what about this:

[squiggleslash]

We're very keen to see a person on Mars. And we also know that using current technologies, the costs will be extraordinary. There's probably no reason for that, I mean, a converted Winnebago (it doesn't have to be roadworthy, so you can always get a used one for about $4,000, launched into space, sealed and made to withstand one atmosphere of pressure (how hard can that be?) together with some parachutes for the actual landing could be used to transport someone from here to there quite easily and comfortably. Parachutes, of the sort used by the military et al, are quite expensive, but those aren't really suitable for this kind of application, so you'd have to make your own, and funnily enough that again works in your favour - some huge sheets, bought from Goodwill, stitched together, ought to do the trick.

Issues with solar flares etc can be dealt with by wrapping the entire thing in aluminium foil. Aluminium foil is reflective (I can't believe nobody's thought of this), so this should protect anyone inside, and that's assuming a solar flare occurs at all.

Communication costs are coming down all the time. Most cellular companies these days have excellent coverage and well defined roaming agreements.

So really, it ought to be quite cheap, but I think the reason it's seen as expensive is because it's professionals doing it, and they can't very well be seen stitching old sheets together and covering rusty Winnebagos in foil.

So what I'd do, if I were NASA, is set up an award of $6,000 for the first person to go to Mars and come back in one piece.

And if NASA's willing to do this, I for one would throw my hat into the ring.