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No Winner In NASA's Moon-Dirt Digging Competition

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the not-even-close-and-still-no-cigar dept.

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."

8 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Re:What? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    We can put a man on the moon but...
    Stop right there. We can't.
    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  2. Better Link by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Informative

    A better link with no subscription required.

    It should be noted that this is the sixth of seven Centennial Challenges to go unawarded since 2005 by NASA. They have strict contests because they actually intend to implement the winner's idea. 150 kgs on 30 Watts? Good luck, nobody should be ashamed not to hit that mark!

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Better Link by LurkerXXX · · Score: 4, Informative

      The time limit to move the 150kg was 30 minutes. You already knew about the 30 watt limit. Calculate away.

    2. Re:Better Link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      It was 30Kw IIRC
      According to the competition page, it is 30 Watts, not 30 Kilowatts:

      • Each team's excavation system must be fully autonomous
      • Systems will perform in a square sandbox filled with compressed lunar regolith simulant.
      • Mass of the system cannot exceed 40 kilograms.
      • 30 Watts of DC power will be provided to the system.
      • Each system will have 30 minutes to excavate as much regolith as possible and deliver it to a fixed collector adjacent to the sandbox.
      • The total purse of $250,000 will go to the winning teams excavating the most regolith above 150 kilograms.
  3. What you can't move with 30 Watts... by Notquitecajun · · Score: 4, Funny

    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."

  4. I figure... by Mockylock · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.
  5. Conveyor belt by markov_chain · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!
  6. Re:What? by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.'"