NASA Sponsors NanoSat Launch Challenge

OK, for all of you who have thought, or outright claimed, that You could do NASA's job better, faster, cheaper, and/or with less red tape and subtrifuge, here's your chance!


NASA is sponsoring a $2 Million USD challenge: Be the first to launch two Cube-Sat -type nano-satellites into orbit within one week and win $2 million US dollars (Get 'em while they're still worth something!)


Here's the link to the details of the contest:

NASA $2 Million NanoSat Launch Challenge



Up and Away Space Cadets!

reply to post by Bhadhidar


That is incredibly awesome.
Wonder if their are any laws about chunking stuff up into space? IE: I build a small rocket and launch my own satellite into space just for S&G's.

reply to post by Rhadamanthus


I was involved with the first "Cheap Access To Space (CATS)" prize competetion about 15 years ago.

Back then, the government had no protocols or procedures for private launches, and so, until we "blazed that Trail" the offficial answer was "Not until we study the implications of 'Just anyone launching just anything' very thoroughly!"



But, according to my source, This time the effort has the Full backing and Blessing of BOTH NASA and the AST (which grants private individuals and companies permission to launch).

reply to post by Bhadhidar


That is cool. I will have to read up on that. I don't want to hijack your thread. Great find and this is something I hope to track in the future.

That would be awesome to do except every single type of chemical explosive and propellant is now banned or takes a mammoth amount of paper work just to receive a small sample thanks to Sept. 11th. I guess they want us to achieve orbit with a few balloons then keep the package in orbit with a couple batteries connected to remote controlled cans of compressed air? I guess that is a little harsh, I am sure an ingenious, original idea is possible. I wish I had one.

suggestion: why not use a modified F-22 to launch something like this to carry the cubesats on an orbital trajectory? or am i just dreaming?

reply to post by tooo many pills



You need to be more creative.

I've seen a rocket engine that used used nitrous oxide and a large Salami as fuel!

Sure, it had a stupidly low specific impulse, and could not have propelled a house fly faster than a flyswatter, but the fuel was a freakin' salami!


P.S.: Don't knock balloons as a potential method of launch.


Look up the term Rockoon if you don't believe me.

reply to post by toreishi


Too expensive and far too sophisticated for the simple job of lobbing a couple of kilograms of satellite into orbit.


Now, if you were to build your rocket out of, say, Paper, and launch it from maybe a modified Piper Cub...


Then you might be in the running for the $2 million prize!

reply to post by Bhadhidar


Oh I agree, high-altitude balloons actually do get to the upper atmosphere/edge of space and burst. I've seen the videos of people attaching cameras to balloons that make it to the edge of space.

The problem is the NanoSat challenge states that the package has to be able orbit around the launch site at least once. So, it has to be going fast enough once it reaches space to achieve one Earth orbit right?

My daughter has launched 3 micro-satellites of her own piggy-backed on USAF Launches tucked into the ballast weight before (nothing fancy, just tennis balls with a simple radio beacon). She has been avidly pursuing High Powered Rocketry for the past 8 years (since she was 5) with the hopes of one day being able to launch a much more sophisticated micro-satellite of her own with solar-power and propulsion capabilities. Thus far, she's only been able to launch a bowling ball to an altitude of approximately 5000 meters (for an Amateur HPR contest a couple of years back). Although I doubt she would be able to even prepare for a launch in under two weeks, let alone get the requisite materials for a two-cube sized micro-satellite, I'm sure this contest will provide plenty of incentive for her to try.

Anything that encourages learning and gets my daughter to want to do high-level Calculus is good enough for me!

Thanks for the heads up OP! S&F

When was this million dollar challenge first offered or made public?

How bout a few of them model rocket engines timed to take over when the balloon pops? The balloon will get you up there and then the engines ignite and pull the payload higher up? Just a thought