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Lunabotics Mining Competition
NASA's Fourth Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition
May 20-24, 2013
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Table of Contents
About the Competition:
The Lunabotics Mining Competition is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). There is particular relevance to NASA’s recently announced mission to find an asteroid by 2016 and then bring it to Cis-Lunar space, the technology concepts developed by the university teams for this competition conceivably could be used to mine resources on Asteroids as well as Mars. Robotic miners, just like these, will allow us to take samples at the returned Asteroid and give us valuable information to prepare for other deep space missions. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of regolith simulant (aggregate) within 10 minutes. Regolith exists not only on Earth’s moon, but also on most planetary bodies such as Asteroids, Moons of Mars and Mars itself. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the simulant, the weight and size limitations of the robot, and the ability to control it from a remote control center. The scoring for the mining category will require teams to consider a number of design operation factors such as dust tolerance and projection, communications, vehicle mass, energy/power required, and full autonomy.
This year 50 teams will compete from all over the world for the coveted grand prize, the Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence. Check out the NASA EDGE Show from the 2012 Lunabotics Mining Competition. Click here to download the show.
Watch it live!
The competition is open to the public. However, it is held in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex which requires an admission ticket. Tickets may be purchased at: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/buy-tickets.aspx.
NASA EDGE will be streaming live coverage during the competition again this year. Even if you cannot come to Kennedy Space Center, you may watch it live at http://www.ustream.tv/nasaedge.
What is available for K-12 students?
Although this competition is for college students, there are many opportunities for younger students to participate. Click here to watch the K-12 1-minute promotional video.
Please see below to find out more information:
K-12 Grade Student Groups
K-12 grade students are invited to join us in the Exploration Station in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as we build and program LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT robots! Students will also have the opportunity to interact with the Lunabotics teams as they are participating in the Lunabotics Mining Competition. This will be a great opportunity for students to get some hands-on experience in robotics. You won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity! Contact Amy at KSC's Education Resource Center at (321) 867-2959 to reserve your group's spot. School groups, summer camp groups, clubs, and community organizations are all welcome. Space and times are limited so call early. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex student guests are also welcome on a space available basis during the week.
For student group discounts to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, contact Kim at (321) 449-4832 or KCarpent@dncinc.com.
FIRST Robotics Teams
FIRST Robotics Teams are invited to display and demonstrate your FIRST robot at NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition. Please reserve your spot to display and demo your robot by May 10, 2013. Contact Elaine Voll at Elaine.Voll@nasa.gov for reservations.
College Recruitment Fair for High School Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to participate in the Lunabotics College Recruitment Fair at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA is hosting a college recruitment event focused on connecting high school sophomores, juniors and seniors with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education opportunities available at top colleges and universities across the nation. In addition, NASA scientists and engineers will be available to answer questions about specific majors and technical career paths. Click here to register for the Lunabotics College Recruitment Fair.
Meet Luna and the Lunabotics Team
The Luna Worldwide Campaign
Step one: Print out Luna and take pictures of her adventures. Bring Luna and her activity sheets to your outreach events.
Step two: Upload photos to Facebook and Twitter for everyone to see. When uploading to Twitter use the hashtag #LunaWW.
Step three: Share Luna with your friends and families to add to her adventures.
Materials for use in the Luna Worldwide Campaign
Luna Travel Printout Luna Image 1 Luna Image 2 This is being made available by NASA to the public for non-commercial use in connection with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) educational activities.
More About the Competition:
Who is eligible to compete?
Undergraduate and graduate student teams enrolled in a U.S. or international college or university are eligible to enter NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. Design teams must include: at least one faculty with a college or university and at least two undergraduate or graduate students. NASA has not set an upper limit on team members. A team should have a sufficient number of members to successfully operate their Lunabot. Registration is limited to the first 50 approved teams. Registration is limited to one team per university campus. Internationally, registration is limited to 5 teams per country. The maximum number of teams has been reached. Registration is closed for 2013.
What are the requirements to compete?
In accordance with the rules, teams will compete in up to five major competition categories including: on-site mining, systems engineering paper, outreach project, slide presentation (optional), and team spirit (optional). Additionally, teams can earn bonus points for mined and deposited BP-1 in the competition attempts, having multidisciplinary teams, and collaborating between a majority institution and a U.S. Minority Serving Institution (MSI). All documents must be submitted in English.
What can teams win?
The team with the most points from all categories will win the grand prize, the Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence, and will receive the Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence trophy, team certificates for each member, and a $5,000 team scholarship. Awards for other categories include monetary team scholarships, a school trophy or plaque, team certificates, and KSC launch invitations.
It is the responsibility of the teams to read, understand, and abide by all of NASA’s Fourth Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition Rules and Rubrics, stay updated with new FAQs, watch the webcasts, communicate with NASA’s representatives, and complete all surveys.
Rules, Rubrics, FAQs, & Other Resources:
NASA's Fourth Annual Lunabotics Mining Competition Rules and Rubrics can be viewed here: Lunabotics Mining Competition Rules (PDF).
The 2013 Lunabotics Frequently Asked Questions can be viewed here: Lunabotics FAQ (PDF).
The Soil Test on the BP-1 as published in Earth and Space 2010 can be viewed below. This article maybe helpful to the design of your lunabot. BP-1 Soil Testing
2010 Winning Systems Engineering Paper from Auburn University
2011 Winning Systems Engineering Paper from John Brown University
2012 Winning Systems Engineering Paper from Montana State University - Bozeman
2012 Winning Outreach Project Report by Iowa State University in collaboration with Wartburg College
2012 Winning Slide Presentation by The University of Alabama in collaboration with Shelton State Community College
| Milestones & Events |
Deadlines & Dates |
| Systems Engineering Paper | April 22, 2013 |
| Outreach Project Report | April 22, 2013 |
| Presentation (optional) | April 22, 2013 |
| Team Spirit | All year |
| Rule #31 and #32 Documentation | April 30, 2013 |
| Team Check-in, Unload/Uncrate Lunabot | May 20, 2013 |
| Practice Days | May 20 & 21, 2013 |
| Competition Days | May 22, 23, & 24, 2013 |
| Awards Ceremony | Evening of May 24, 2013 |
Tentative Itinerary
| Monday, May 20, 2013 | |
|---|---|
| 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Team Check-In & Lunabot Unloading/Uncrating |
| 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | LunaPits Open |
| 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity |
| 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Mining Judges' Meeting |
| 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | RF & Communications Inspections |
| 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Lunabot Inspections |
| 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Practice Time |
| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch and Open Wireless Opportunity |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Lunabot Inspections |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | RF & Communications Inspections |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Practice Time |
| 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity |
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 | |
| 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | LunaPits Open |
| 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity |
| 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | RF & Communications Inspections |
| 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Opening Ceremony (attendance required by all teams) |
| 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch and Open Wireless Opportunity |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Official Competition | Wednesday, May 22, 2013 |
| 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | LunaPits Open |
| 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity |
| 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity on a non-interference basis with competition | Thursday, May 23, 2013 |
| 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | LunaPits Open |
| 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity on a non-interference basis with competition |
| 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Opening Remarks |
| 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity on a non-interference basis with competition | Friday, May 24, 2013 |
| 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. | LunaPits Open |
| 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Open Wireless Opportunity on a non-interference basis with competition |
| 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Opening Remarks |
| 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Official Competition |
| 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Presentations and Demonstrations |
| 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | STEM College Recruitment Fair |
| 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Team Photo Op with Participation Plaque |
| 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Judges' Meeting and Lunabot Crating/Loading/LunaPits Clean-up |
| 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Awards Ceremony in the IMAX Theater* |
*For team members, faculty advisors, judges, sponsors, planning team, volunteers, and special guests only.
Categories & Awards
In addition to the awards listed below, school plaques and individual certificates will be awarded for exemplary performance in the following categories:
| Category | Required/ Optional |
Due Dates | Award | Maximum Points |
| On-site Mining | Required | May 22-24, 2013 | First place $3,000 team scholarship and Kennedy launch invitations | 30 |
| Second place $2,000 team scholarship and Kennedy launch invitations | 25 | |||
| Third place $1,000 team scholarship and Kennedy launch invitations |
20 | |||
| Teams not placing first, second, or third, will receive one point per kilogram mined and deposited |
Up to 10 | |||
| Systems Engineering Paper | Required | April 22, 2013 | $750 team scholarship from AIAA Space Resources Technical Committee | Up to 20 |
| Outreach Project Report | Required | April 22, 2013 | $500 team scholarship | Up to 20 |
| Slide Presentation and Demonstration | Optional | April 22, 2013 (pre-judging) and May 22-24, 2013 (on-site) | $500 team scholarship | Up to 24 |
| Team Spirit | Optional | All Year | $500 team scholarship | Up to 15 |
| Collaboration With a Minority Serving Institution | Optional | Nov. 30, 2012 | 10 Bonus Points | |
| Multidisciplinary Team | Optional | Jan. 31, 2013 | Up to 10 Bonus Points | |
| Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence | Grand Prize for Most Points | All Year | A school trophy, $5,000 team scholarship, and Kennedy launch invitations. | 129 Point Max |
| Judges' Innovation Award | Optional | May 22-24, 2013 | Trophy | |
| Efficient Use of Communications Power Award | Optional | May 22-24, 2013 | Trophy | |
| Caterpillar Award for Full Autonomy sponsored by Caterpillar Inc. | Optional | May 22-24, 2013 | First Place: $1,500 team scholarship; Second Place: $750 team scholarship; Third Place: $250 team scholarship | |
| Best Use of Social Media Award | Optional | All Year | Trophy |
2013 Competitors
International Teams:
Australia:
University of Sydney
Bangladesh:
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology
Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology
Islamic University of Technology
Military Institute of Science and Technology
North South University
Canada:
McGill University
Queen's University
York University
Colombia:
Instituto de Astrobiologia Colombia
Universidad de los Andes
India:
Kirori Mal College
Manipal University
Saveetha University
SVKM's NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Tech. Mgmt. & Engg.
University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kurukshetra University
Mexico:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Poland:
Warsaw University of Technology*
US Teams:
Arizona State University
Case Western Reserve University*
Colorado School of Mines
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Florida Institute of Technology
Iowa State University
John Brown University
Miami University
Middle Tennessee State University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Montana State University
Morgan State University
Oakton Community College
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
Purdue University
Temple University
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
The University of Akron
The University of Alabama
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Arkansas
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of New Hampshire
University of North Dakota
University of Portland
Utah State University (Brigham City RCDE Campus)
Virginia Tech
West Virginia University
2013 Virtual Teams:
Bangladesh Virtual Team:
BRAC University
India Virtual Teams:
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra
Delhi Technological University
Past Winners and Competitors
Check out our past Lunabotics winners! Past Lunabotics Winners
Check out our past Lunabotics competitors! Past Lunabotics Competitors
2013 Sponsors
Lunar Sponsor
Caterpillar, Inc.
Silver Sponsor
National Instruments
Bronze Sponsors
Harris Corporation
Honeybee Robotics Corporation
igus, inc.
The LEGO Group
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) Corporation
Moon Express Inc.
NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium
Ontario Drive & Gear / Argo
South African Space Resources Association (SASRA)
SpaceX
Copper Sponsor
AIAA Space Resources Technical Committee
The Google Lunar X PRIZE Foundation, Inc./MoonBots Challenge Program
Ocean Potion Suncare
Other Contributors
Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts
Secor Strategies, LLC
2012 Sponsors
Lunar Sponsor
Caterpillar, Inc.
Gold Sponsor
Newmont Mining Corporation
Bronze Sponsors
Harris Corporation
igus, inc.
Ontario Drive & Gear / Argo
South African Space Resources Association (SASRA)
SpaceX
The LEGO Group
United Space Alliance
Copper Sponsors
AIAA Space Resources Technical Committee
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Honeybee Robotics Corporation
The Google Lunar X PRIZE/MoonBots Challenge Program
Other Contributors
Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts
Secor Strategies, LLC
2011 Sponsors
Platinum Sponsor
Caterpillar, Inc.
Gold Sponsor
Newmont Mining Corporation
Bronze Sponsors
Honeybee Robotics Corporation
Harris Corporation
Copper Sponsors
The LEGO Group
Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts
Food, Lodging & Travel
Dining Options
Dining at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Space Coast Dining Guide
Food in Cocoa Beach, FL
Food in Titusville, FL
Lodging Options
The following hotels are offering a special group rate for Lunabotics:
Hotels and Bus Service in Titusville Area
Hampton Inn – Titusville
Holiday Inn - Titusville
Fairfield Marriott – Titusville
Bus service is available for purchase if you are staying at one of the Titusville hotels. Information about the bus service can be found on this downloadable flyer.
Hotels in Cocoa Beach Area
Cocoa Beach Suites
Radisson Resort at the Port
Information about the available discounts for the above Cocoa Beach Hotels can be found on this downloadable flyer.
Courtyard Marriott - Cocoa Beach-Cape Canaveral-King Bed with Sofa
Courtyard Marriott - Cocoa Beach-Cape Canaveral-Two Queen Beds
Hampton Inn - Cocoa Beach-Cape Canaveral
Residence Inn by Marriott Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach
Information about the available discounts for the above Cocoa Beach Hotels can be found on this downloadable flyer.
Travel
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
One Airport Blvd
Orlando, Florida 32827-4399
Driving Directions
2013 Press Kit
2013 Lunabotics Press Kit
2012 Press Release
NASA'S 2013 Lunabotics Competition Open For Registration
2011 Press Release
NASA ANNOUNCES LUNABOTICS MINING COMPETITION WINNERS
2010 Press Releases
Inaugural Lunabotics Mining Competition Goes Live With NASA EDGE
NASA Invites Reporters to Inaugural Lunabotics Competition
2009 Press Release
NASA Announces Lunar Exploration Competition for Students
Contact us:
All inquiries must be emailed to:
| Susan Sawyer, REDE/Critique JV | Bethanne Hull, REDE/Critique JV |
| Kennedy Education Projects Office | Kennedy Education Projects Office |
| Lunabotics Mining Competition Project Coordinator | Lunabotics Mining Competition Project Coordinator |
| E-mail: Susan.G.Sawyer@nasa.gov | E-mail: Bethanne.Hull@nasa.gov |