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COMPETITION
GUIDELINES
Letters of Intent
Due: October 18, 2002
Proposals Due: November 15, 2002
NASA is currently studying design architectures
for a 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV); the first
generation being the Space Shuttle, with the goals to increase
safety of spaceflight by an order of magnitude and to decrease
the cost of access to space to the range of $1000 per pound
of cargo. Three different contractor teams are developing
flight vehicle concepts, and numerous contractors are working
on individual technology programs in the systems and subsystems
area. One of these technology areas is Densified Propellants
(DP), or subcooling the liquid oxygen and hydrogen to obtain
an increase in density. The use of densified propellants will
decrease vehicle size and weight, and provide safety margins
in engine turbomachinery. Two of the three architecture contractors
have identified DP as an enabling technology for their designs.
Since the 2nd Generation RLV will probably
use DP, ground systems must be designed to accommodate them.
In addition, ground operations costs will make up a substantial
portion of flight costs, and more efficient and reliable methods
of storing and handling cryogenic propellants must be utilized.
The Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC)
and Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI) are pleased to
announce the NASA Spaceport Engineering Design Student Competition
2003 (NASA Spaceport 2003).
WE INVITE YOU to compete for a chance
to make a real contribution in support of a Spaceport.
If selected, you and your teammates will
conduct engineering trade and design studies in support of
a Next Generation Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Distribution
System (CPSDS).
If you choose to enter, your team will
compete with other student teams by writing and submitting
a proposal to the NASA Spaceport Design Review Committee.
In so doing, you will venture into the world of proposal-writing
and procurement.
From all proposals received, up to five
teams will be selected to investigate CPSDS issues that are
important to NASA's Spaceport Design Review Committee and
to design solutions addressing them.
Then, in the spring of 2003, representatives
of your team will attend NASA Spaceport 2003 Design Conference
at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This conference
will provide a forum for:
- the presentation of your team's
work;
- interaction with leading NASA, industry
and university community professionals;
- receipt of status reports on the
progress of exploration missions and programs;
- and, receipt of updates on new systems,
technologies and approaches to the development of a spaceport.
As a member of a selected team, NASA
plans to incorporate innovations from your work into its engineering
trade studies and evaluate them against other leading concepts.
All six student teams will receive cash
awards of $500 (a) upon selection as a Finalist Team, (b)
upon receipt of a satisfactory Preliminary Design Report (PDR),
and (c) upon receipt of a satisfactory Detailed Design Review
(DDR) - for a total of $1,500 each. Teams will also receive
international recognition for their contributions to NASA's
Spaceport planning effort.
The NASA Spaceport Engineering Design
Student Competition 2003 program is jointly sponsored by NASA,
Kennedy
Space Center, Florida Space Grant
Consortium, and Florida
Space Research Institute and administered by the Florida
Space Grant Consortium and Florida
Space Research Institute.
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