NASA Announces Allied Org for Nanosat Launcher Challenge

NASA AND SPACE FLORIDA SMALL SATELLITE RESEARCH CENTER PARTNER IN SPACE LAUNCH CHALLENGE

WASHINGTON -- NASA has signed an agreement with the Space Florida Small Satellite Research Center of Cape Canaveral, Florida, to manage the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge, one of the agency's new Centennial Challenges prize competitions.

The Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge is to launch satellites with a mass of at least 2.2 pounds (1 kg) into Earth orbit, twice within the span of one week. The new challenge has a NASA-provided prize purse of $2 million.

The objective of the competition is to encourage innovations in propulsion and other technologies, as well as operations and management relevant to safe, low-cost, small payload delivery system for frequent access to Earth orbit. Innovations stemming from this challenge will be beneficial to broader applications in future launch systems. They may enhance commercial capability for dedicated launches of small satellites at a cost comparable to secondary payload launches -- a potential new market with government, commercial, and academic customers.

"Monday's agreement between NASA and Space Florida for use of facilities at the Kennedy Space Center even better positions the organization for managing this new Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge," said Michael Gazarik, director for NASA's Space Technology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Space Florida has extensive experience working with NASA, the FAA, the Air Force, commercial spaceflight companies and universities to advance their plans for spaceflight operations. We look forward to having the Space Florida Small Satellite Research Center overseeing the competition and bringing together innovative teams with creative problem-solving ideas."

Space Florida submitted a proposal last spring in response to a NASA solicitation for this partnership opportunity. They will now begin detailed preparations for the challenge, publishing rules and then registering competitors. The first competition launch attempt is expected to take place in the summer of 2012.

The Centennial Challenges seek unconventional solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation. Competitors have included private companies, student groups and independent inventors working outside the traditional aerospace industry. Unlike contracts or grants, prizes are awarded only after solutions are successfully demonstrated.

NASA's Centennial Challenges program provides the prize purse for the technology and innovation competitions. The competitions are managed by non-profit organizations that cover the cost of operations through commercial or private sponsorships.

In October, NASA awarded the largest prize in aviation history following Pipistrel-USA's win of the agency's CAFE Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google. NASA's $1.35 million first prize and a $120,000 second prize recognized competitors using electric airplanes to break all previous fuel efficiency records. The technology and innovation used in electric aircraft may end up in general aviation aircraft, spawning new jobs and new industries for the 21st century.

There have been 22 Centennial Challenges competition events since 2005. NASA has awarded nearly $6 million to 15 different

challenge-winning teams. Centennial Challenges is one of the ten Space Technology programs, managed by NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist. For more information about the program and descriptions of each of the challenge competitions, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/challenges

For more information about Space Florida and updates on the Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge, visit:

www.spaceflorida.gov

For more information about NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/oct

Team Phoenicia has been aware of Space Florida being the allied org in final negotiations since August when we started putting together the 2nd Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar. We are delighted that Space Florida will be joining us for the seminar and laying out the rules and requirements for participating in the NLC.

We will be updating the agenda for the seminar later today with the new information.

Congratulations to Space Florida. We look forward to working with your group.

An Appearance at Space Exploration: Not Just for Billionaires Anymore

Team Phoenicia was delighted to participate in the MIT/Stanford Venture Lab Seminar entitled "Space Exploration: Not Just for Billionaires Anymore." Two team members, Anand Karasi and Mel Olivares, participated in the networking session of the seminar. They were hosted at the Silicon Valley Space Center booth and displayed a Z150 rocket engine with injector plate and manifold, a Z550 thrust chamber, a pair of unwelded 6 in (15 cm) milled pressure vessel hemispheres, and a spun 18 in (45 cm) spun aluminum propellant tank.

Anand and Mel reported back that things went exceedingly well and we made a number of new contacts. They stated that a lot of people were very impressed by the manufacturing that the team has done.

We look forward to participating in many more events in the local area promoting NewSpace.

We want to thank Dr Sean Casey for the invitation and being willing to give us display space.

2nd Nanosatellite Launcher Seminar

Team Phoenicia is proud to announce our second Nanosatellite Launcher Challenge seminar. We conducted the first one at Techshop - Menlo Park on November 7th, 2010. The second one will take place at both TechShop and our new facility next door on November 12th, 2011.

The first seminar was a great success, but could be improved upon. This will be upgraded to a two day event based on the feedback that we have received. Food and drink will be provided. There will be speakers in the vein of last time, but additionally all potential teams that wish to present will be able to do so on a first come, first serve basis until the slots are filled. Potential suppliers for the teams will also be given time to present as well.

More details soon.

We will be announcing the agenda soon, but

Nanosat Launcher Challenge Raw Video #4: Dr Bill Gutman about SpacePort America

Nanosat Launcher Challenge Raw Video #2: Paul Breed on FAR

Nanosat Launcher Challenge Raw Video Preface

We have had some challenges with prepping the video from the Nanosat Launcher Challenge Seminar. Since we are so far behind in our promised posting of the NLC Seminar videos, we thought we would try uploading the raw footage and then put the polished product as we are finally able.