New Nano Sat Centennial Challenge

[ZiraldoAerospace]

Have any of you seen the new NASA Centennial Challenges? There is one, the Nano Satellite Challenge Launch Challenge, which is where you have to launch a nano satellite (1-10 kg or 2.2-22 lbs for those of you that don't want to bother looking it up) into orbit twice in one week. The purse is $2 million, which is a quite a bit in my book. Any chance that someone on here could scale up their efforts and put a 1 kg sat in orbit? Just thought that it might be a possibility since you all are already working on an orbital launch and most of you seem to be small/low budget, it seems to me that the allure of the 2 million could attract enough additional talent and money to make a good run at it.

[rick m]

Here is the website:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2010/ju ... enges.html

I would say this will get people moving.

Rick

[Monroe]

Woo whoo! here comes Prometheus!

Monroe

They better hurry up with them rules! lol

[cpooley]

This new development looks especially interesting to me, as one of the specifications for the
"ML-1" is to place a Cubesat to LEO. This was researched, designed in the year before the
entry for N Prize.

N Prize is to be attempted with a "de-tuned", smaller version to be capable of one Pocket Cube
weighing 125 grams to LEO. This slightly smaller launcher is to use the same fabrication means,
similar parts to make use of design work done previously and to facilitate upgrade to the escape
capable ML-1.

The plans are to seek partners for both, and have the larger launcher follow the N Prize
development without a break.

The ML-1 is to have a liftoff mass of about 100-200 kg, and the "ML-N" about 1/2 to 2/3 that.
The masses will be pinned down more closely after test of the third stage engine, the
performance of which has a strong effect on the size requirement of the two lower stages.

For the MN-N, at least, beverage cans will be used for the third and maybe also the second stage.
The third stage may be 5 24 ounce cans--3 for LOX, 2 for propane or butane.

The second stage may use 5 welded pairs of 24 ounce cans, or short segments of the tubing to be
used for the first stage.

Presently planning the largest, most expensive component of the launcher design--the shop to
build/test them in: "Location One" as described in the April 2009 Space Access Society presentation
http://www.microlaunchers.com/7816/L3/sa09/sa09.html .

Preparations to locate in Henderson NV now under way. Conditions there will allow the first 3 of 4
Locations for the development.

I know it's silly to ask here, but if you know of any who might want to join the Microlauncher entry,
do contact.

Charles Pooley

[Monroe]

Charles
I'll make any parts you want just pay for the materials. No strings. Go for it! I'll be back in Mojave soon. Your welcome to use the Matagorda site for testing. If something develops all the better. If not you have your parts. I've got my own plans but I would surely help you. We have a more solid method and plan with a launch every other week now we just did the first one Sat. NSE4 for a launch to space in Sept-October. Our attempt at the N-Prize should be 6 months after a successful space shot. So we are bringing it down to the wire. Takes atleast 6-9 months to get a experimental launch permit from FAA ect... our plan includes filing that just prior to the space shot with a lot riding on how well we do that. There may be some mutual benefit going for the NASA prize if we can work together. That's my view. Otherwise good luck Microlaunchers and godspeed.

Monroe
Team Prometheus

NSE5 is scheduled for Aug. 14th

512-944-5440 is my phone also anyone with drive to complete this mission is welcome to join Team Prometheus but be prepared to work your tail off no more bystanders wanted.

[rick m]

Just happen to notice this again. One of the teams I'm on ( Oak Sat ) entered to do this and decided to continue even though NASA pulled the plug. We have set a 2016/17 date for launching... ???

Testing is progressing as planned so far on the project but with plenty of room for an anomaly to cause delays. Not as fun as working on HPR or even the 10th Anniversary CSXT launch but that is the nature of the beast.

Rick

[Jay]

Rick, have you noticed sugarshot.org seems to be down?

[rick m]

Hi Jay,
I did not notice that, it was ok as of a few weeks ago. I'll let the powers to be know. The person that had volunteered to keep our webpage up to date for so many years may be moving on to other things, if so, I wish him well and give may thanks to him. We have been posting on facebook of late and we have our own freelists email link for those interested in our progress or commenting.

We were going to do two static motor tests today at the FAR site but my wife in excruciating pain needed a trip down to the ER yesterday evening where a CAT scan found a kidney stone starting its journey to freedom. She is quietly sleeping now under pain meds.

That means 3 motor tests at the next trip to FAR as our tests are beginning to back up. Turns out today would have been interesting at FAR. Real windy here in the morning followed by rain a short time ago. It now feels like I was stationed in Texas again with this humidity that is rare here in the Mojave Desert.

Last week we did test out a new GPS system we put together. We tracked it on our cell phone and tablet as it vanished from sight high above. We later drove/walked to the location shown on Google Earth and found it right next to the bush shown; isn't Google Earth remarkable? As a geologist with a remote sensing/cartography minor, I can't say enough about it. Kudos for Google Earth.

We also flew a minimum diameter rocket scratch built by the new team leader of the Citrus College Rocket Owls. Perfect flight (after all, I'm the mentor) but could not find it. For myself, anytime I put hundreds of dollars of electronics in a rocket, I put something inside to track and recover it with but as the mentor, I only advise and suggest and the rest they learn for themselves.

Today would have been interesting if we did go to FAR. Very windy here in the morning and then rained. It now reminds me of when I was stationed in Texas since we normally don't have humid days here in the Mojave Desert.

Hope everything is proceeding as expected for you,

Rick

[Jay]

Ow. Sorry to hear about your wife’s ordeal. I wish her (the both of you really) a speedy recovery.

I really have enjoyed the SugarShot site. The documentation there has been excellent. I hope the site will continue, but if not then facebook and freelists will do.

Thanks for all the updates and the encouragement.

“Google Earth – brought to you by rockets!”

Jay

[Jay]

Rick, your "nudge" seems to have done the trick. Sugarshot.org is back up!

Jay