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NASA wants ideas for keeping Moon missions powered in the dark
NASA is crowdsourcing ideas for energy systems that would keep Moon missions powered, even in the dark.
NASA is crowdsourcing a sensor that can survive Venus
Venus is hostile to just about everything, including probes -- and while NASA thinks it has Venus-resistant electronics, that doesn't mean future rovers are ready to touch down on the planet's hellish surface. To that end, NASA wants your help. It's teaming with HeroX on a crowdsourced competition to develop an obstacle avoidance sensor that could survive on the Venus-bound AREE explorer. A total of $30,000 in prizes will go to the top three sensors that can navigate rough terrain while withstanding the extreme temperatures (over 800F) and pressure (92 times that of Earth) of the planet.
NASA crowdsources better ways to poop in spacesuits
Back in December, NASA and X Prize competition website HeroX announced the Space Poop Challenge to find a hands-free human waste solution that would work for six days in spacesuit. The winning entry was designed by Air Force Colonel Thatcher R. Cardon, Commander of the 47th Medical Group at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas. Cardon's background as a family physician and a flight surgeon certainly helped informed his system which features a hygiene wand.
ICYMI: Crowdsourcing the space poop problem
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: NASA and HeroX are asking for help from the public to try to create a bathroom that can be used for up to six days, inside space suits. Previously astronauts have worn diapers during missions in space suits, but that's only a short-term solution that won't work for the US goal to get to Mars. You can read more about the request here.
HeroX is the Kickstarter of X Prize-type competitions
X Prize aims to challenge inventors into creating technologies that could benefit mankind, but it can't design competitions for every problem out there. That's where its spin-off company called HeroX comes in. HeroX is a platform similar to Kickstarter, where anyone can post their own competition. Those who think they have the best solution can then submit their entries to win a cash prize. While projects with sponsors are welcome, the website can also serve as a crowdfunding platform for those that don't have benefactors. People can donate to the prize pot, which will be awarded to the winner(s), though note that the company takes a cut, as it's not a non-profit org like the X Prize Foundation itself.
