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No Winner In NASA's Moon-Dirt Digging Competition
Engadget is reporting that NASA's recent moon-dirt digging competition has concluded without a winner being named. "The excavator built by Technology Ranch was able to notch first place by relocating just over 143-pounds in 30 minutes, but fell quite short on picking up any award monies. So for those of you who weren't exactly ready to go mano-a-mano with these guys and gals this time around, next year you've all got $750,000 on the line."
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
I can move with 3 pounds of dynamite....or c-4 if you want something actually --stable-- you weenies. Explosives have worked well at moving dirt for a good while.
Oh, sorry, you wanted it moved from here to there, not just "moved."
If you could stop at your local day-worker site with some space suits, I bet those fuckers could move some moon dirt in wholesale fashion. We're talking 1000 kilos in 30 minutes, for $50 a head. Saves you lots of money in R&D and I guarantee you can fit 40 of them in one capsule.
"Please, shut up. Just when I think you can't say anything more stupid, you speak again." -Archie Bunker.
The entrants all made the mistake of constructing the means to move dirt in Earth's three puny dimensions.
On the moon, they have five.
Thousand.
Yes, five thousand. Don't question it.
Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
It looks like Slashdot's resident armchair engineers made a pretty good call. That's what the top entrant used.
Tsunami -- You can't bring a good wave down!
If we were highly motivated we could go back sooner than you think - unless you're one of those "the moon landings were faked" bozos. Then "we" doesn't include you. Because when they can identify them before they plan the kidnapping, they don't allow psychotics to join the space program.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Congress, more funding please..."
As long as you, your three friends and the equipment all weigh less than 40 kg total, that is probably ok. Also if strapping 30 watts of DC power to your testicles will make you work :)