NASA is One Step Closer to Moon Colony

Moon colonization grows one step closer as NASA awarded Armadillo Aerospace of Rockwell, TX a $350,000 prize for the performance of their privately built lunar lander during an October 25 competition in Las Cruces, NM. This was the biggest prize awarded by NASA to date.

NASA has created the Centennial Challenges contests as part of its Innovative Partnerships Program. The Partnerships and Challenges are meant to give incentive to the private sector in developing and boosting human technology that may be useful for space travel and exploration. These programs are meant to spurn on new inventions and development in hardware and software technology and expand the base knowledge and applications that will be helpful in the future.

Besides the Centennial Challenges, NASA also sponsors private sector companies and individuals through Seed Fund Programs, Business Innovative Research Grants, and Small Business Technology Transfer.

The Centennial Challenge has focused recently on moon travel and lunar colonization technology. The Lunar Lander challenge was only the latest in a long line of other contests which have included Lunar Excavation technology, General Aviation technology, Wireless Power Transmission, Spacewalking Tethers, and Astronaut Gloves.

The aim of the Lunar Lander Challenge was for a rocket-powered vehicle that can take off vertically, travel in the air horizontally, and land at another location. The take off and landings are on terrain that simulates that of the moon. The rocket engines are one of the focal points of the Lander as they must be able to start, stop, and start again in short intervals with no ground servicing in between.

The competition and prize money is allocated on a two level system. The first level, which was won by Armadillo Aerospace, required the rocket to take off and hover at an altitude of 150 feet for 90 seconds. Then the rocket must land at a designated landing pad 150 feet away from the take off point. Then the vehicle must repeat the process in reverse within the span of two and a half hours.

The level 2 portion of the competition has yet to be won. The level 2 portion requires the rocket to hover for three full minutes and land on surface laden with boulders and craters. While Armadillo Aerospace attempted the level 2, no one was available to complete it. The award for whoever can complete the standing level 2 portion is $1 million.

John Carmack, the team leader of Armadillo has said that they are "going to keep working towards Level Two, which we can hopefully compete for again soon," according the October 27 NASA press release.

The only other team at the competition to come close was the Truezer0 team, was able to hover for 90 seconds, but not complete the rest of the requirements.

Although only one step, the Lunar Lander challenge represents the continued effort of NASA to make moon colonization a reality.