Topic: Moon 2.0 Pages that link to <a href="https://ozoneasylum.com/backlink?for=29627" title="Pages that link to Topic: Moon 2.0" rel="nofollow" >Topic: Moon 2.0\

 
Author Thread
Lord_Fukutoku
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: San Antonio
Insane since: Jul 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 15:36 Edit Quote

You might remember a couple years ago when SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize.

Google has helped push it to the next level by an order of magnitude: Google Lunar X Prize.

I can't wait to see streaming HD video from the surface of the moon in a few years

quote:
The $30 million prize purse is segmented into a $20 million Grand Prize, a $5 million Second Prize and $5 million in bonus prizes. To win the Grand Prize, a team must successfully soft land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon, rove on the lunar surface for a minimum of 500 meters, and transmit a specific set of video, images and data back to the Earth.

Bonus prizes will be won by successfully completing additional mission tasks such as roving longer distances (> 5,000 meters), imaging man made artifacts (e.g. Apollo hardware), discovering water ice, and/or surviving through a frigid lunar night (approximately 14.5 Earth days). The competing lunar spacecraft will be equipped with high-definition video and still cameras, and will send images and data to Earth, which the public will be able to view on the Google Lunar X PRIZE website.



--

Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.

WebShaman
Lunatic (VI) Mad Scientist

From: Happy Hunting Grounds...
Insane since: Mar 2001

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 17:20 Edit Quote

This is really, really cool, and if it actually succeeds in getting the Private Sector interested in space travel, will be the one most important event in our history.

The event that got us into space and beyond.

The stars are ours!

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

poi
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: Norway
Insane since: Jun 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 17:26 Edit Quote

Oh, I missed that. Great!

Arthurio
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: the dungeons, corridor 13, cell 3736
Insane since: Jul 2003

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 19:04 Edit Quote

"High Probability of Certain Death with Little Chance of Success... What Are We Waiting For?"

But seriously. The probability of anyone spending the necessary (what? $200 million or more, just pulled that out of my #¤%) for the $20 million prize and the publicity is highly unlikely not to mention immeasurably risky endeavor. Big companies will probably think: yea ok, so we spend $200 million dollars to do something that impractical. What will our stock holders think and what will our stock holders think if we fail?! What will a failure say about our products? Our rocket stayed in the air for 15 seconds and killed 3 people but rest assured same will happen when you buy our helicopter?

Google should do it. In cooperation with other companies of course because this is not their area of expertise.

This is a serious project of almost immeasurable difficulty.
1) Rover - Good luck with off the shelf parts. If the moon dust doesn't get you, radiation, heat/cold and micro meteorites will.
2) Delivery - Those Russian rockets haven't been proving too reliable lately.
3) Landing - Ever played "Lunar lander"? Think 10000 times more difficult.
4) Probability of the rover actually surviving the delivery and the landing
5) How they going to test anything? They're just going to write bug free software and engineer a bug free rover without testing it in anywhere near realistic conditions? Yeah right because we see that happening every day.

I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.

poi
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: Norway
Insane since: Jun 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 19:35 Edit Quote

Arthurio: what if they succeed ?

Also you realized that people already went to the moon, in the 60's-70's. Since then we learnt a lot, materials evolved a lot, computers got 1 bagillions faster and cheaper. And as for testing, the situation is not different than it was in the 60's for the Moon rover was tested, or more recently when the Mars rovers were tested ... and yet they work(ed) damn fine. In fact they worked much better/longer than expected.

Wes
Paranoid (IV) Mad Scientist

From: Inside THE BOX
Insane since: May 2000

IP logged posted posted 10-17-2007 22:51 Edit Quote

Biggest obstacle: the soft landing. Can't use parachutes on the moon, boys and girls.

Lord_Fukutoku
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: San Antonio
Insane since: Jul 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 00:32 Edit Quote

I absolutely agree that the $20 million prize won't cover the costs, but I seriously don't think it'll be $200 million. Though I could be wrong.
Probably one of the more costly aspects is the launch vehicle and SpaceX is offering a discount on their Falcon Launch Vehicle to these teams (regularly $7 million per vehicle (aka rocket)).


Sure you can use parachutes on the moon They just wouldn't be effective at slowing your descent. You could use them as blankets, or roll them up into pillows, or hide from the aliens under them.
A soft landing is definitely gonna be tricky.

Are those issues challenging? Absolutely. Impossible? Not at all. There are research companies out there that thrive on this cutting edge kind of stuff.

--

Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.

Arthurio
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: the dungeons, corridor 13, cell 3736
Insane since: Jul 2003

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 01:25 Edit Quote

Combination of small rocket engines and huge external airbags is actually a relatively simple and cheap option for soft landing.

quote:

poi said:

Arthurio: what if they succeed ?



It's a damn long way from someone actually taking on the challenge to total success. However if someone succeeds then they have done the impossible. The fact that NASA has done it is no argument whatsoever. Those guys spend years, lots of work hours and money on every tiny aspect of everything involved. Besides this is what they specialize in and this is what they have all the necessary infrastructure in place. And also the fact that computers have become faster doesn't mean anything either. The improved computing power is only necessary for the HD video feed. Of course it could be used for other things but since the Moon is so close I bet the more logical choice would be to just RC the damn thing once it has landed.

(Edited by Arthurio on 10-18-2007 01:41)

Suho1004
Maniac (V) Mad Librarian

From: Seoul, Korea
Insane since: Apr 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 01:55 Edit Quote
quote:

poi said:
Also you realized that people already went to the moon, in the 60's-70's.



Come on, poi. We all know that was filmed on a set somewhere in Hollywood. To think there are still people who believe we went to the moon.




___________________________
Suho: www.liminality.org | Cell 270 | Sig Rotator | the Fellowship of Sup

Lord_Fukutoku
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: San Antonio
Insane since: Jul 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 14:58 Edit Quote
quote:

Arthurio said:
It's a damn long way from someone actually taking on the challenge to total success. However if someone succeeds then they have done the impossible.


quote:

Oddball said:
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?


quote:

Moriarty said:
Crap!



(Edited by Lord_Fukutoku on 10-18-2007 15:00)

WebShaman
Lunatic (VI) Mad Scientist

From: Happy Hunting Grounds...
Insane since: Mar 2001

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 16:24 Edit Quote
quote:

Arthurio said:

"High Probability of Certain Death with Little Chance of Success... What Are We Waiting For?"But seriously. The probability of anyone spending the necessary (what? $200 million or more, just pulled that out of my #¤%) for the $20 million prize and the publicity is highly unlikely not to mention immeasurably risky endeavor. Big companies will probably think: yea ok, so we spend $200 million dollars to do something that impractical. What will our stock holders think and what will our stock holders think if we fail?! What will a failure say about our products? Our rocket stayed in the air for 15 seconds and killed 3 people but rest assured same will happen when you buy our helicopter?Google should do it. In cooperation with other companies of course because this is not their area of expertise.This is a serious project of almost immeasurable difficulty.1) Rover - Good luck with off the shelf parts. If the moon dust doesn't get you, radiation, heat/cold and micro meteorites will. 2) Delivery - Those Russian rockets haven't been proving too reliable lately.3) Landing - Ever played "Lunar lander"? Think 10000 times more difficult.4) Probability of the rover actually surviving the delivery and the landing5) How they going to test anything? They're just going to write bug free software and engineer a bug free rover without testing it in anywhere near realistic conditions? Yeah right because we see that happening every day.I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.



That is the same thing that was said about the reaching space competition - and someone did it.

In fact, history is full of those always saying "They'll never succeed!" and despite that, they do.

The truth is that Human Nature loves a challenge, and loves taking a risk - the business side is to find a financial way to overcome the challenge, and to minimize the risks.

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

Lord_Fukutoku
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: San Antonio
Insane since: Jul 2002

IP logged posted posted 10-18-2007 17:05 Edit Quote

Spot on WS.

There's plenty of independently wealthy individuals out there that I'm sure wouldn't mind getting a chance to put their name on the moon. Not to mention corporate sponsors.

liorean
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: Umeå, Sweden
Insane since: Sep 2004

IP logged posted posted 10-20-2007 21:36 Edit Quote

A bit related to the topic:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/4

--
var Liorean = {
abode: "http://web-graphics.com/",
profile: "http://codingforums.com/member.php?u=5798"};



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