Crazy idea for Space Prize

[najab]

Here's a crazy idea for the next space prize. Build a small satellite, nothing mroe than a ball covered in solar panels with a radio transmitter in it, attach a solid rocket to the bottom of it. Find a commercial launch that has a a few hundred spare pounds of payload capacity and get them to launch the satellite as a secondary payload. Use the solid motor to boost into a high eliptical orbit. <p>Here's the interesting part: inside the satellite is a cheque for $1 billion, payable to "Cash". Get the cheque, get the cash. The eliptical nature of the orbit is a natural time limit as long as you make sure the orbit is stable for at least 5 years.<p>To win the prize you're either going to have to develop a manouverable manned space vehicle, or autonomous rendezvous and return capabilities - either of which is worth a billion or two.<hr />Forgot to mention that the satellite would be designed so that it's hard to open (a Chinese puzzle box kinda thing), which means you either have to have dextrous manipulators - either robotic or human - to open it on orbit, or you have to be able to return it intact.</p></p>

 

[najab]

Oooh....another idea: make sure it's shiny enough to be naked-eye visible at night. That way people can look up and <b>see</b> a billion dollars waiting to be grabbed!

 

[spacester]

I love it! Bravo!<br /><br />I've never heard this idea before. Original, simple and elegant.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[propforce]

Great idea !! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /><br />That would just be fantastic when the little green men show up to cash the check <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

way cool if someone "beamed" the check down. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

For a billion dollars, NASA would go get it. If the Europeans, Russians, Chinese or Japanese didn't get there first. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

What if Uri Geller turns up with check? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[najab]

><i>Do you allow the use of existing government tracking sites, or does the chase vehicle have to be fully active and self-supporting?</i><p>As long as the Government is willing to provide those services on a commercial basis, sure.<p>><i>Related to this, do you publish the target information or does the team have to find it?</i><p>Standard TLE data would be available, just like any other satellite.</p></p></p>

 

[grooble]

Wouldn't cost much to set this up at all. £3m for the Falcon-1, and not even 5 figures for the small sattelite unless you like wasting money.<br /><br />Just need someone to put up the prize money

 

[centsworth_II]

<i>"As with X-Prize, no government funded teams...." -- newsartist</i><br /><br />Better keep a hold of the money then. It may be a bit tricky putting conditions on who can cash a check marked "CASH". <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

Excellent idea! Sort of cosmic treasure hunt. But how about GEO instead of highly elliptical. If you succeed to get there and either manipulate the Rubic's cube or return it to Earth then in addition to the prize you have a bright future in maintaining GEO com-sats. That ough to be a lucrative goal so you could drop a zero off from your check, place the billion-prize on the Moon <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[arobie]

Najab, that is a great idea!<br /><br />I would love to see a prize like that.<br /><br />A question though:<br /><br />How would the prize money be gathered? Any idea's??

 

[mikejz]

Another idea:<br /><br />Have Nasa's next Mars rover tape the Money Order (hehe) to a rock on Mars. That'll take care of the whole sample-return thing.

 

[mott]

sweeeet i like it someone talk to gates and see if he has any spare change lying around

 

[quasar2]

this should become mandatory for every mission. take it even further than mere money. give incentive to stay there. design all packages which when a manned mission finally gets to the surface of either the moon or mars can be "upgraded". <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[spacefire]

best Idea I've ever heard...but make the check expire in two years or so. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

NASA are listening to you najaB. I guess everyone saw the article on SDC "NASA details cash prizes for space privatization." There is a "Tether" challenge and "Beam Power Challenge"<br /><br />http://www.space.com/news/050323_centennial_challenge.html<br /><br />I think this is an excellent approach to spurring technological advancement in the space industry. I can't wait to read about outcomes and winners!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

My idea of a prize would be the first person creating FTL space travel!!! The first one go to Alpha Centauri and back...

 

[mcbethcg]

My idea of a prize would be the first person to get hell to freeze over while pigs fly!<br /><br />Sorry, kdavis. There appears to be a real speed limit in the universe. FTL is impossible.

 

[kdavis007]

Nothing is impossible...

 

[ldyaidan]

I think we should announce that we've discovered gold or diamonds on mars. See how fast the Martian gold rush gets us into space....<br /><br />Rae