Presentation to NCSU

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Presentation to NCSU
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OVERVIEW
The Google Lunar X Prize Challenge
The Purpose of our Presentation is to Engage the
Leaders of Industry, Academia and
Government to support a regional entry to
the challenge
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OVERVIEW
The Google Lunar X Prize Challenge
The Google Lunar X PRIZE is a 30 million
competition for the first privately funded team
to send a robot to the moon, travel 500 meters
and transmit video, images and data back to the
Earth. Teams must be at least 90 privately
funded and must be registered to compete by
December 31, 2010. The first team to land on the
Moon and complete the mission objectives will be
awarded 20 million. The X PRIZE Foundation
and Google announced in early March that ten
teams had already registered for the prize.
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TEAM HISTORY
The Team
STELLAR stands for Space Technology for
Exploration, Lunar Landing and Roving. The team
has been meeting regularly since October of 2007.
Team STELLAR has developed a management
structure and strategy for an entry into the
challenge with an eye to establishing a permanent
commercial entity. Team members include Insight
Technologies, the Advanced Vehicle Research
Center, Dr. Andre Mazzoleni of NCSU Mechanical
Aerospace Engineering, the Advanced Aerospace
Resource Center, ASTREC (an NCSU-NSF I/UCRC),
Jeff Krukin, and several NCSU faculty student
volunteers.
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TEAM BACKGROUND
Capabilities Insight Technologies
-          Autonomous ground vehicle control
systems -          Hardware/Software Integration
skills -          Sensor development and
integration -          Robotic platforms -        
  Embedded software systems -         
Communications Software -          Navigation and
Routing software -          Complex System Design
skills -          Real Time video analysis
techniques
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TEAM BACKGROUND
Capabilities ASTREC
-         Produce integrated, concurrent
small satellite design -         Fabrication
validation objectives for improvements in time to
orbit -         Lower cost associated with
maximum flexibility for design accommodation
and performance.  -         Research and
development of pico and nano-class satellites
with the following subsystems GNC,
communications and CDH, propulsion, power, and
payload.
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TEAM BACKGROUND
Capabilities AVRC and AARC

• Developed NC Aerospace Workforce Strategy
  document
• Project Management and Industry Outreach
• Business Development and commercialization
  partners for new energy and propulsion
  technologies including
• Sodium Borohydride Fuel Cell
• Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Engine
           

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TEAM BACKGROUND
Capabilities Dr. Andre Mazzoleni MAE

• Dynamics, Vibrations, Nonlinear Systems
• Astronautics, Space Systems Design
• Tethered Satellites, Earth-based tethered Systems
• Lunar and planetary Rovers
• Solar Sails
• Biologically inspired autonomous vehicles and
  biomechanics

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TEAM BACKGROUND
Capabilities Jeff Krukin

• Commercial space industry (NewSpace) expertise
• Systems engineering
• Strategic business and technology planning
• and implementation
• Technical sales and marketing
• - Public speaker and writer

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TEAM BACKGROUND
Core Technical Team
From left to right, Dr. Andre Mazzoleni, Richard
D. Dell Jr., Grayson Randall (front), Dr.
William Edmonson (back), Gordon Jeans (back),
Richard (Dick) Dell Sr., and Jeff Krukin
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SUB-TEAMS
Sub-team descriptions follow for the purposes
of the terminology, the Vehicle is the object
that will carry the Rover from the earth to the
lunar surface. Rover The device that will be
place on the lunar surface. This device will
move and have the camera's required to meet the
prize goals.
Launch Team
- Find launch method - Primary interface to
launch site - Loading issues - Interface to
Mission Control - All issues up to earth orbit
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SUB-TEAMS
Earth Orbit to Lunar Orbit
- Propulsion - communications to the
vehicle - All orbital mechanics -
How to stabilize and direct the vehicle -
insertion into lunar orbit - When and how
much to fire the engines - All control
from earth orbit to established lunar orbit
- Work with Mission Control
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SUB-TEAMS
Vehicle Team

• Design and build a vehicle to carry the Rover
  from the earth to the lunar surface.
• Must have communication and propulsion.
• Must carry the Rover and possibly one or more
• satellites.

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SUB-TEAMS
Landing Team

• - Work closely with Vehicle team
• - Must place Rover safely on Lunar surface
• - Must release any satellites
• All issues with orbital exit to controlled
  landing
• Must release rover for operation
• - Must be at or near target landing position
• - Work with Mission Control

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SUB-TEAMS
Communications
- Establish communications capability with
Vehicle Rover - Establish all earth
stations - Ability to send and receive
data - Data channel and Control Channel
- Data Encryption per requirements -
Interface with Mission Control, Vehicle, Rover
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SUB-TEAMS
Data Team

• Manage all data required by the requirements
• Includes images, video at all resolutions
• Manage all pre-loaded data per requirements
• Manage Data rates and priorities
• Send required e-mail and text message
• Interface with Communications team and Mission
  Control
• Interface with Rover for camera control and
  processing time

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SUB-TEAMS
Roving Team
- Design and build Rover - Delayed
driving/autonomous control - Control of cameras -
Interface with Communications - How to locate
vehicle position - How to find the Heritage
site - Power management
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SUB-TEAMS
Mission Control Team
- Define launch and landing sites - Define
control and monitoring Center - Runs the
mission - Must meet all goals - Monitor all
telemetry - Interface to all teams to complete
mission
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SUB-TEAMS
GOOGLE LUNAR X TIMELINE
International Kick-off 05/20
Letter of Intent 04/13
Google Final Registration 2012
Deadline to file 5/12/08
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WHY JOIN?
Reasons to Join

• International Visibility and Recognition
• Intellectual Property Sharing agreement
• Access to world class University and private
  Research
• Access to world class technical recruitment with
  experienced students in space-related
  technologies
• First-mover advantage in Commercial Space
  Industry
• Recognition of proprietary technologies
• Advertising and sponsorship opportunities
• Testing opportunities in a highly rigorous
  environment

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WHATS NEEDED?
Commitment

• Intellectual Property Sponsors
• Facilities and Equipment
• Funding
• Staff
• Non-Intellectual Property Sponsors
• Funding
• Economic Development Partnerships
• Funding

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