PERMANENT X-Prize Effort

[JohnHunt]

So that we can be clear about whether we are talking about larger plans for the establishment of a permanent human presence in space or whether we are talking about PERMANENT's role in the Google Lunar X-Prize, I am starting this thread to explicitly discuss the Google Lunar X-Prize.

Perhaps we can discuss which of the current 21 applicants we feel deserve our support and IF we think that we can come up with a better idea and who among us or who else we can get to carry the idea forward.

[Sam Fraser]

Thanks for kicking this thread off, John. It can't hurt to consider it, at least. As Mark said here:

http://www.forumlog.com/nanobiotechnologyspace/showthread.php?t=382&page=2

Actually, I would prefer to join up with one of the 21 current registrants rather than reinvent the wheel and start off on our own, so researching them would be the best first step. Who is willing to research all the groups and come back with an executive summary report?

I've read the background for every entrant at the Google Lunar X-Prize website. I haven't also visited their respective websites, as I don't really have the technical nous or time to analyse each proposal critically. However, in light of Mark said, I found the profile for "Team CHANDAH" interesting:

http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/lunar/teams/chandah/about

It's worth reading the whole thing, but here's a very condensed version:

[I, Adil Rahim Jafry, am] an energy industry entrepreneur, and have helped create several initiatives including my current company (TARA ENERGY) from scratch. ... We started with a little over $0.5MM of angel money and turned it into a 20,000 customer, $130MM a year in revenues company. ... My role at TARA is to integrate its various functions – Finance, Operations, Legal, Regulatory, Business & Corporate Development, and Marketing

Why did you decide to enter the Google Lunar X PRIZE?
The Google Lunar X PRIZE caught my imagination in January of 2008 just like deregulation of energy had done in January of 2002. ... It was rare in 2002 for a no-name immigrant entrepreneur (myself) with very little to his name to launch an energy company with little more than a group of well-qualified young energy industry professionals ... In the end however, the TARA team prevailed against all odds – even as half the entrants in the deregulated energy industry in Texas disappeared.

I am an entrepreneur and strongly believe in personal initiative, human ingenuity, hard work, and the abilities of individual private citizens with collective indomitable spirits to achieve the unthinkable. Particularly if lucky breakthroughs emerge as the initiative unfolds.

What do you think gives your team an advantage over your competitors?
The CHANDAH team is still just a vision. Today, the CHANDAH team is simply one entrepreneur with a background in understanding of how economic engines are created and can most efficiently function. ... A solid team of passionate enthusiasts and professionals recruited from various space related areas will be “critical” for CHANDAH ... Chief among them would be high caliber scientists, astrophysicists, aerospace engineers, and businessmen, who will all work together to identify the potential of turning the Google Lunar X PRIZE entry as a launching pad for something more than just our entry into the competition.

Basically, he's an independently wealth entrepreneur who just needs a team and a plan.

[moonus111]

I'm giving a bump to the idea that we join forces with an already existing entrant.

[joertexas]

I'm giving a bump to the idea that we join forces with an already existing entrant.

Okay, so how do we go about doing that?

JR

[moonus111]

this is where a wiki would help a heck of a lot.

[Sam Fraser]

Wikis have been discussed to some extent here:

http://www.forumlog.com/nanobiotechnologyspace/showthread.php?t=321&

Mark asked for some assistance, but none was forthcoming.

[Sam Fraser]

To keep on topic, has anyone else taken the time to look at each entrant to see which one(s) has the most potential in terms of collaboration? We don't want to create a report that's too long-winded and time-consuming, just the essential facts. For starters, I assume Team Name, Participants and Partners, Proposal Outline, Funding/Budget and Current Status (e.g. Evaluating, Procuring, Under Construction, Testing Hardware or whatever). How does NASA normally write mission evaluation reports and what categories/criteria are used? We could produce a (greatly) simplified template based on NASA reports in the public domain.....or it may be easy to start from scratch ourselves to keep it simple. Suggestions?