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Draft Rules for X Prize Lunar Lander Challenge
IZ Reloaded writes "X Prize Foundation is asking the public to comment on the draft rules set for its lunar lander challenge. From Space.com: According to draft rules for the lunar lander contest, competitors will be challenged to build a vehicle capable of launching vertically, travel a distance of 328 to 656 feet (100 to 200 meters) horizontally, and then land at a designated site. A return trip would then occur between 5 minutes and 30 minutes later...Comments are sought by March 1 with initial sign-ups slated for May 15, according to draft rules, though Murphy added that the comment period could be extended to 30 days."
> Could this prize be an attempt to stimulate commercial moon landings alongside commercial spaceflight?
Could such an obvious question be an attempt to stimulate a half-hearted chuckle or is the source more close linked with stupidity?
The unofficial
The draft of the rules mention that you need to use rocket power, and not some kind of aerodynamic lift, but that's it. I think they should specify a more realistic conditions of the moon. Obviously you can't have it fly in a vacuum, but you could expose the craft to a vacuum before the flight to make sure it can survive a vacuum. You could do the same thing with the temperature extremes. At the very least a craft shouldn't be able to rely upon earth based navigation aids, like GPS, the suns position in the sky, or even the earths magnetic field.
AccountKiller
From the Draft:
Since the moon does not have an appreciable atmosphere, if the system can meet the goals on earth it shouldn't have any problems on the moon. The big problems are developing the propulsion systems cheap and light enough. Turning them on and off at different times doesn't change much in the scheme of things if they can provide enough thrust at the right times.
Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I for one would argue that taking the first steps towards human interplanetary and interstellar travel were worth a lot more than fighting some stupid wars. Developing the technology to go to the moon is one thing, but there is no substitute for proving you can by actually doing it.
Procrastination Man strikes again!
why does it "have" to be vertical takeoff, why not horizontal like a plane? make use of air's capacity to lift
Because this is meant to simulate a Lunar Lander.