XA 0.1 really wants to fly

Details at Masten Space Systems blog

2007 draft rules for public comment

X Prize Foundation Director of Space Projects Will Pomerantz writes today:

Happy New Year! I hope that the first few weeks of 2007 have been going well for you all, and that you are all starting to look forward to the 2007 Wirefly X PRIZE Cup and the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge (NG-LLC).

I’m pleased to announce that the rules for the 2007 edition of the NG-LLC are almost complete. Before we lock them down, though, we want to give you a chance to comment on them. This the best time for you to request clarifications, point out errors, identify loopholes, or request changes in the rules for the 2007 contest. You will note that the rules are quite similar to those used in 2006; however, there have been a few minor tweaks and clarifications.

Please feel free to comment on any section of the rules; however, I would like to draw your attention specifically to the following items:
– Gold Box: Similarly, I have heard requests that XPF provide (free or at cost) a standard Gold Box, rather than allowing teams to construct their own. If you have a strong opinion on this, please voice it.
– Refueling: You will note that the new section A.2.19.1 constitutes one of very few substantive changes to the rules from the 2006 edition. If you disagree with the change, please let us know.
– Payload: I have heard requests that XPF provide a standard payload, rather than allowing the teams to provide their own. If you have a strong opinion on this, please let us know.
– Propellants: Our list of allowable propellants is not yet finalized, pending the finalizations of our agreements with our host venue. This is the most accurate list available at present.
– Vehicle Reference Point: This replaces the “Vehicle Centerline”, which was deemed unnecessarily complex. If you disagree with the change, please let us know.

All changes after this public comment period will be at the sole discretion of the X PRIZE Foundation and NASA—however, we greatly look forward to your input. Please feel free to pass this message along to other parties you know may be interested—though I ask that you please not post my phone number (in my signature, below) on any websites.

Once we have reviewed your comments and accommodated your requests wherever possible, we will finalize the changes, publicize the final rules, and open registration. This timeline will ultimately depend on NASA’s concurrence cycle—but we hope that this will occur in mid-February.

The public comment period begins now, and will end at 5:00pm EST on Monday, January 22nd, 2007. Comments should be submitted to will@xprize.org with the subject “NG-LLC Comments”.

Kind regards, and thank you in advance for your comments,
William

William Pomerantz
Director of Space Projects
X PRIZE Foundation

NORTHROP GRUMMAN LUNAR LANDER CHALLENGE RULES
NON-BINDING DRAFT COPY – FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ONLY