SEDS MOON ROVER COMPETITION
Wow! This occurs to me as a boon
I didn't expect it would come so soon
I will now seek the enigmatic tune
On the valleys of the tranquil moon
Is your avocation “space science”? Are you waiting for an opportunity to prove your mettle in “conducting virtual space journeys”? .............................
If the answer is a YES, your wait has just ended…
SEDS International, in conjecture with SEDS Students chapter, Vellore Institute of Technology University, India, is knocking at your doorstep with just the right opportunity……
Are you throttled up for the challenge…?
“HERE‘S THE (HYPOTHETICAL) SITUATION”:
On an upcoming human mission to the Moon in 2020, ISRO has allocated 20kg for a scientific payload that will be designed and operated by students. The payload has been reserved for a series of rovers, allowing students on Earth to explore the lunar surface.
The rover must be contained within a small shipping container with outside dimensions that fit in a 0.2 m3 rectangular prism. The total mass of the rovers and container can not exceed 20 kg. No human intervention will be allowed to remove the rover from the container. The container would serve as the ground station for the rover, relaying communications to and from the rover.
Each rover would be equipped with, at minimum, a video imager and an additional scientific payload to be chosen by the designer. Assume that the ground station is placed in a location that is in constant daylight.
So, get busy…..start designing your rover today………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JUDGING CRITERIA:
The design report will be judged by a team consisting of professional engineers, scientists, and professors from the American Astronautical Society, SEDS-USA Board of Advisers, and SEDSAT-2 Advisers. The on-site presentation will be judged by advisers of the SEDS International Conference.
Judging will be done on the basis of three major criteria:
- Technical merit: Describe all assumptions used in the design. Use technical references such as journals, and accurately cite all sources. Understanding of physical and engineering principles should be evident in the design. Designs must identify environmental constraints encountered on the lunar surface and solutions to survive within these constraints.
- Creativity : Special consideration will be given to unique -- but feasible -- solutions
- Presentation: References will be made in the Harvard referencing style. Figures should be used to illustrate the design
THE GRAND PRIZE:
The grand prize is a half-tuition scholarship to the International Space University, and a feature article in Space Times, the journal of the American Astronautical Society
THE RULES:
- The Submissions are limited to single participants. Participants may communicate with each other for assistance during the design, but all submissions must be original work.
- Submissions must be in English.
- All participants must verify that they are students.
- Maximum document length: 25 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font (Arial or Times New Roman). (There is no minimum length.) Document paper size must be A4, 8.5" x 11", or an equivalent size.
- Models, if any, are invited.
- Selected participants will be given twenty minutes of time for presenting their concept during SEDSIC.
- Participants that intend to submit an entry must send a Letter of Intent to international@seds.org by 23:59 GMT is extended to 10th August 2007.
- Documents must be submitted in electronic form to international@seds.org by 23:59 GMT, 10th september 2007.
Note: The letter of intent should include the abstract of design and personal details such as the participants name,degree and area of study along with contact details.