Team Odyssey Moon Blog RSS Feed

Escape is at Hand for the Travellin' Man

Odyssey Moon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:10:57 -0700

Readers from Canada might recognize the song title above from a perennial favourite of mine, the Tragically Hip. I’ve felt like a travellin' man lately, as I have been lucky enough to attend two conferences this past month as an Odyssey Moon intern.

The first, NewSpace 2008, was held from July 17 to 19, in Washington, DC by the Space Frontier Foundation. It was amazing to meet some of the people who are making entrepreneurial space happen, and personally inspiring. Many of the people involved with the Space Frontier Foundation have been at this for a long time, and those of us pursuing NewSpace ventures owe them a debt of gratitude for their efforts to open space to commercial enterprises.

The NASA Lunar Science Conference, held last week, brought together a wide range of lunar and planetary scientists, engineers, students, and the public. It was wonderful to see such widespread interest in and unified support for exploration of the moon. Odyssey Moon was prominent at both these conferences, focused on being an enabler of further lunar exploration. It's very exciting to be working with Odyssey Moon and international partners in this effort.

As an aside to other students that are interested in the GLXP and space development in general, I highly recommend attending as many conferences as you can, whether you are in high school, college, or university. Conferences like NewSpace and the Lunar Science Conference are inspiring, offer opportunities to meet like-minded people in the space community, and provide ways for students like us to discover how we can best contribute to humanity’s future in space.

Adding a Science Customer and Two Scientists...

Loretta.Whitesides — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:07:04 -0700

We are starting to be downright science-y!

While we first announced ourselves as a commercial company, and let out our first contracts to the engineers who will build our spacecraft, Odyssey Moon has a big science streak. We are happy that our latest three press releases show it! We couldn't be more pleased to have two of the leading figures in planetary science on our team. Paul Spudis and Alan Stern have made huge contributions to the field. Who else can boast having sent instruments to the moon on missions from two different countries or having sent the first spacecraft to Pluto?

The Moon is an exciting place to visit-- all the more so for the science that can be done there. We are excited to be at the cutting edge of lunar research opportunities. We have been able to offer researchers the opportunity to fly their payloads to the lunar equator on our "MoonOne" mission and to the lunar south pole on our "MoonTwo" mission. The possibilities are staggering.

The International Lunar Observatory will be an exciting chance for scientists from many countries to be able to finally use the Moon as a platform for astronomy. From our perspective, it is just the beginning...

Dr. Paul Spudis Announced as Chief Scientist of Odyssey Moon Limited

Odyssey Moon — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:09:11 -0700

Mountain View, CA – Dr. Paul D. Spudis has been named Chief Scientist of Odyssey Moon Limited, the first official contender for the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE. Dr. Spudis is a prominent scientist in the international lunar community and served as deputy science team leader for the highly successful Clementine lunar mission and is the Principal Investigator of the Mini-SAR imaging radar experiment on the forthcoming Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon. Dr. Spudis is an outspoken advocate of the Moon as a focus of scientific exploration and human settlement and has served on numerous advisory committees, including the US Presidential Commission on the Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. The announcement was made during a NASA Lunar Science Institute conference at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

A geologist and Senior Staff Scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, Dr. Spudis has an extensive background in geology and planetary science, including interpretation of remote-sensing and image data. Dr. Spudis will be applying his combined passions for science and lunar development to help Odyssey Moon deliver a valuable scientific mission while pursuing the $30 Million Google Lunar X PRIZE and an ongoing commercial lunar enterprise. “Evidence indicates that abundant energy and material resources exist on the Moon, including deposits of ice within craters at the poles,” he said. “Returning to the Moon will teach us the skills we need to live and work productively on other worlds.”

Odyssey Moon CEO Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards says the addition of Paul Spudis to the Odyssey Moon Executive Team broadens and strengthens the scientific capability for the commercial company. “Paul is a persistent champion of the value of the Moon to the human species,” Dr. Richards said. “He understands the Moon’s role in furthering human knowledge and securing a prosperous future and he has the experience and the credentials to help us make it happen.”

Odyssey Moon Limited is a commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man. The company was unveiled in December 2007 as the first official contender in the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, announcing a series of robotic missions to the Moon during the International Lunar Decade in support of science, commerce and exploration. The company intends to offer frequent, low cost and reliable access to the lunar surface for private and government customers.

In addition to serving as Principal Investigator of a synthetic aperture radar device (mini-SAR) experiment on the Indian Chandrayaan Moon orbiter mission launching in 2008, Dr. Spudis is also a team member of the mini-RF technology demonstration experiment aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, also bound for the Moon later this year. Prior to this he was Principal Investigator in the Planetary Geology Program of the NASA Office of Space Science, Solar System Exploration Division, specializing in research on the processes of impact and volcanism on the planets. He served on NASA’s Lunar and Planetary Sample Team (LAPST), which advised on the allocations of lunar samples for scientific research. He is also a member of NASA’s Lunar Exploration Science Working Group (LEXSWG) that devised scientific strategies of lunar exploration, and the Planetary Geology Working Group, which monitors overall directions in the planetary research community. Paul served on the Committee for Planetary and Lunar Exploration (COMPLEX), an advisory committee of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Synthesis Group, a White House panel that in 1990-1991, analyzed a return to the Moon to establish a base and the first human mission to Mars.

More information about Paul Spudis and the importance of the Moon can be found at his website: http://www.spudislunarresources.com

About Odyssey Moon

Odyssey Moon Limited is a private commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man involving partners in many nations. The company is an innovative partnership of aerospace, financial, science, education, legal and policy interests that have come together to offer unique commercial lunar business services and products for humanity’s permanent return to the Moon. Odyssey Moon is dedicated to the long-term responsible development of the Moon for the benefit of all Humanity.

* * *
For further information please contact:

Daven Maharaj
+1 (416) 356-6211
daven.maharaj@odysseymoon.com

Information about Odyssey Moon: www.odysseymoon.com

Odyssey Moon Announces Second Customer and Second Mission

Odyssey Moon — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:50:52 -0700

Mountain View, CA – The world’s first astronomical observatory bound for the Moon was announced today as a joint venture between the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) and Google Lunar X PRIZE contender Odyssey Moon Limited. A dual function ILO precursor instrument demonstrating observation and communication techniques will be part of the scientific and commercial payloads aboard Odyssey Moon’s inaugural “MoonOne” lander mission, planned for 2011, and destined for the lunar equator in pursuit of the Google Lunar X PRIZE. The ILO precursor instrument will be used to conduct astrophysical and in-situ observations and communications, providing scientific research, technical demonstrations and proof of concept for the ILO venture. The announcement was made during a NASA Lunar Science Institute conference at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

The ultimate goal of the ILOA is to finance and deliver a fully operational International Lunar Observatory to the Moon's mountainous South Pole region where energy and resources may be abundant. The International Lunar Observatory will be delivered to the Moon's southern polar region aboard Odyssey Moon's "MoonTwo" lunar lander early in the next decade, establishing permanent astrophysical observations and lunar commercial communications systems, while also helping to catalyze international lunar build-out.

The ILOA is a consortium of scientists and visionaries from, to date, Canada, China, India, Europe, Japan and Hawai‘i / USA who want to demonstrate the value of the Moon for scientific study of the galaxy, Moon, Earth, sun and stars; followed by human exploration and eventual settlement. Space Age Publishing Company, ILOA's commercial affiliate, intends to broadcast its Space Calendar weekly and Lunar Enterprise Daily via the ILO.

“Permanent human expansion to the Moon is our next great advance – to become an interglobal, multi-world species,” said Steve Durst, Director of the ILOA and Founder of Space Age Publishing Company.

The space transportation and mission partner in the venture is Odyssey Moon Limited, a commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man. The company was unveiled in December 2007 as the first official contender in the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, announcing a series of robotic missions to the Moon during the International Lunar Decade in support of science, commerce and exploration. The company intends to offer frequent, low cost and reliable access to the lunar surface for private and government customers.

“The International Lunar Observatory is a tribute to what humanity can do together on other worlds,” said Odyssey Moon CEO Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards. “The ILO has been an inspiration to Odyssey Moon and we are extremely pleased that ILOA has expressed the confidence in our company to pursue this noble venture together.”

Odyssey Moon’s prime contractor, MacDonald Dettwiler Associates (MDA) of Canada, has been awarded a contract by the ILOA to conduct a design study on the ILO precursor instrument. MDA is famous for the provision of robotics aboard the space shuttle and International Space Station and more recently robotic technology for satellite servicing and planetary exploration. MDA is a strong supporter of commercial space activity.

The organizations hope that the ILO venture represents an opportunity for all people of Earth from any nation to support and participate in near-term pioneering missions to the Moon.

About International Lunar Observatory Association

The International Lunar Observatory Association is a Hawaii-based non-profit organization dedicated to expanding human knowledge of the Cosmos through observation from our Moon, via its ILO and ILO Human Service missions. Its upcoming 24-25 July 2008 Board of Directors Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, aims to advance ILOA international dimensions, and preview the ILO Polar and Human Service missions. ILOA has a daily operating executive team in its Hawai’i office, and an international board of Directors and Advisors.

About Odyssey Moon Limited

Odyssey Moon Limited is a private commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man involving partners in many nations. The first official contender in the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, the company is an innovative partnership of aerospace, financial, science, education, legal and policy interests that have come together to offer ongoing commercial lunar business services and products for humanity’s permanent return to the Moon. Odyssey Moon is dedicated to the long-term responsible development of the Moon for the benefit of all Humanity.

* * *

For further information please contact:

Odyssey Moon
Daven Maharaj +1 (416) 356-6211
daven.maharaj@odysseymoon.com

Information about the Odyssey Moon: www.odysseymoon.com

International Lunar Observatory Association / Space Age Publishing Company

Charles Bohannan +1 (808) 885-3474
info@iloa.com
Michelle Gonella +1 (650) 324-3705
news@spaceagepub.com

Information about ILOA.: www.iloa.org

Create Your Own Custom GLXP LEGO Model!

Loretta.Whitesides — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:06:11 -0700

LEGO has to be about the coolest thing ever.

Yesterday I got an email from a friend who works over at NASA Goddard on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (set to launch before the end of 2008). He said that someone on his team had built a LEGO version of LRO and that you could now buy the model online!

Ever cooler, LEGO has software where you can go in and design a LEGO kit for just about anything! You just download a copy of LEGO Digital Designer, pick your bricks, colors, and assembly sequence and you can sell your new kit online. I figured it would be a great thing for each of the GLXP teams to invite people to create LEGO versions of their team rover designs. Then people can collect the whole GLXP LEGO collection!

Anyone wanna play? The LEGO Digital Designer can be downloaded here!

If you create one, please let us know about it in the comments!

Former NASA Chief Alan Stern joins Odyssey Moon, the first registered competitor in the Google Lunar X PRIZE

Odyssey Moon — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:52:13 -0700

Washington, DC – Odyssey Moon, a commercial lunar enterprise, announced today that former NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Alan Stern has accepted a role with the Isle of Man-based company. Dr. Stern was a recognized engine of change and innovation as chief of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, championing new science programs while being a stalwart advocate of cost and value control when he served at NASA.

Dr. Stern has joined the Odyssey Moon executive team on an exclusive part time consulting basis as the company’s Science Mission Director, part of a new diversified career focus spanning many of his lifelong interests and activities. He expects that his blended understanding of science and business will help Odyssey Moon establish a commercial lunar business while pursuing the $30 Million Google Lunar X PRIZE. “I am a fan of public-private partnerships and building bridges to new markets,” he said. “I believe we are on the verge of a whole new era of space exploration and that the private sector can provide reliable cost effective services that can increase the value and leverage government space budgets.”

A veteran of space exploration with over 25 years of experience, Stern’s alliance with the private space sector comes at a critical time when NASA and other space agencies are looking carefully at the value proposition in partnering with the commercial sector for space activities.

Dr. Stern is a highly respected planetary scientist who has authored over 200 technical papers, 30 popular articles and two books. His work has taken him to numerous astronomical observatories, to the South Pole, and to the upper atmosphere aboard high performance military aircraft. He has been involved as a researcher in 24 suborbital, orbital, and planetary space missions, including 8 for which he was the mission principle investigator; he has also led the development of 8 scientific instruments for planetary and near-space research missions. In 2007 he was named to the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World.

A planetary scientist and former NASA astronaut candidate, Dr. Stern served as NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space Science in 2007 and 2008, directing a $4.4B organization with 93 separate flight missions and a program of over 3,000 research grants. During his tenure a record 10 major new flight projects were started and deep reforms of the research and also the education and public outreach programs were put in place.

Odyssey Moon CEO Dr. Robert (Bob) Richards joined other members of the company’s executive and board of directors in welcoming Alan Stern to their executive team. “We are absolutely thrilled that Alan has decided to join us,” Dr. Richards said. “New businesses are all about the people who believe in making them happen and I can’t think of a better person to help us succeed in this exciting venture than Alan.”

About Odyssey Moon

A Lunar Thanksgiving This Year?

Loretta.Whitesides — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:10:31 -0700

By Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides

It was reported that NASA has moved the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Launch window to open on November 24th, 2008, three days before Thanksgiving.

This would not be the first time that NASA flight controllers have had to alter their holiday plans for a mission.

Apollo 8 entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve 1968.
Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4th, 1997.
and most recently Mars Phoenix landed on Memorial Day weekend.

Are NASA managers hoping for a big launch while all of America is gathered around their TV sets? Are LRO flight controllers hoping for a slip into the first week of December?

If the LRO launch slips too much it could interrupt Christmas and other holiday plans since the goal of LRO is to get the launch off before the end of the year. Maybe having to miss Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws is a small price to pay to get to be a part of an historic mission that they will all get to watch on TV. Maybe tying your mission to a holiday is a good way to get a lot of people to hear about it. Waiting until people have woken up from the shuffle of everyday life to stop and honor their family, appreciate all that they have been given, and maybe even turn a look upwards to the moon and allow themselves to think about what wonders the future holds for those willing to dream, to risk and to dare.

So thank you in advance to the LRO team, whatever holiday might get interrupted. Thank you for the hard work, thank you for the high resolution maps that will make future lunar missions easier, thank you for paving the way for the next great phase of lunar exploration.

P.S. If LRO does launch during Thanksgiving week, I promise to bake a Moon themed pie for our celebrations!

ODYSSEY MOON PARTNERS REACH MARS

Odyssey Moon — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:09:47 -0700

by Bob Richards, CEO Odyssey Moon

Today’s weather report from Mars is great, thanks to Odyssey Moon partners MDA Space Missions and Optech Incorporated. Our two industrial partners are part of the NASA Phoenix Mars mission, which successfully landed on the Red Planet on May 25th, 2008 after a victorious 422 million mile voyage chasing Mars around the Sun. Odyssey Moon prime contractor MDA was responsible for the creation of a number of technologies on the Phoenix Mars lander, including the lidar (laser radar) system designed and built in partnership with Optech Incorporated. The lidar plays a central role in the Meteorological Station contributed to NASA by the Canadian Space Agency, which has now surpassed its first week of flawless operation, probing the content and structure of the Martian atmosphere.

Odyssey Moon announced MDA as its prime contractor in December 2007. The company was selected because of its track record of delivering cost-effective and reliable space systems for over 40 years. Optech Incorporated, who partnered with MDA for the development of space lidar systems, was also announced as a corporate partner of Odyssey Moon.

I was privileged to lead Optech’s role in the Phoenix program as director of the company’s space division. In this position I had front row seats to the level of dedication and technical expertise that’s required for an end to end planetary excursion, including the dramatic Phoenix landing which I watched from the University of Arizona Mission Science Operations Centre. It is a thrill to be partnered with organizations like MDA, NASA, CSA, JPL, Lockheed and the University of Arizona on such an ambitious mission. Space is hard and requires an experienced team to do it right. Odyssey Moon is confident that our industrial team will help us enjoy the same high level of success as we reach for the Moon and the Google Lunar X PRIZE.

The Phoenix Mars mission, led by Dr. Peter Smith of the University of Arizonais, is the first mission under NASA’s “Scout” program. The $420 million project has delivered the first mission to reach the arctic region of the Red Planet, carrying a 59-kilogram cargo package of instruments and a robotic arm to search for water and traces of organic chemicals essential for life. Optech founder and Chairman Dr. Allan Carswell is one of the principal scientists on the mission. He is using the Phoenix lidar to study the atmosphere of Mars to help understand the forces driving climate change on Mars and here on Earth.

In a recent news release, Odyssey Moon Chairman, Dr. Ramin Khadem, described the Phoenix Mars mission as an extraordinary testament to what a team can accomplish in the face of almost incalculable challenges.

Odyssey Moon extends its congratulations to its prime contractor MDA Space Missions and industrial partner Optech for the critical role they are playing in the successful Phoenix Mars lander program, wishing the multinational Phoenix Team continued success delivering phenomenal new knowledge about Mars and increasing our understanding of the planetary processes affecting our own Planet Earth.

More about the Phoenix mission at: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/index.php

Mars weather reports available at: http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/exploration/phoenix.asp

Introducing Odyssey Moon's First Intern: James Antifaev of the International Space University

Odyssey Moon — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:08:03 -0700

By James Antifaev

Google Lunar X PRIZE fans, competitors, and organizers:

As the newest member of the Odyssey Moon Limited team, allow me to introduce myself. I’m James: Odyssey Moon intern and International Space University masters student.

Sitting at my cubicle at a secure location in North America, I may confidently report that big things are underway for the Odyssey Moon team. As you are probably aware, OML’s international, highly experienced executive group includes an impressive list of movers and shakers in the space industry. It’s a privilege to be a part of such a dynamic team.

My internship at OML is in conjunction with ISU, an organization co-founded by Odyssey Moon’s CEO Dr. Bob Richards. The ISU masters program includes 9 months of course and project work followed by a 3 month internship. In my case, the internship involves working on the first privately-developed lunar mission – how cool is that?

ISU and the X PRIZE Foundation also have strong ties, as Peter Diamandis is another of ISU’s founders. Our school was fortunate enough to host the first GLXP Team Summit in May 2008, which turned out to be a fantastic opportunity for students to interact with real GLXP teams and to take part in a one-day student competition involving 6 teams from various countries. As part of the ISU student team, I saw amazing talent and enthusiasm demonstrated by all teams, and came away convinced that the GLXP has the ability to inspire younger generations to pursue careers in space. We are truly lucky to be alive at the time when private development of space becomes possible.

While I can’t divulge much information on the Big Secret Projects going on at Odyssey Moon, I strongly suggest that you continue to watch this space and bookmark OML’s website for upcoming announcements and news.

Bob Richards Featured on CNN's "Just Imagine" Interstitials- Starting Today!

Loretta.Whitesides — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:17:08 -0700

Today CNN International launched a barrage of stories, photos and video's centered around Odyssey Moon CEO, Bob Richards. The award winning series, called "Just Imagine," asks leading figures to share their vision for the world in 2020.

Bob does a fantastic job of taking the viewers on a voyage to the stars, all the while pointing out the relevance of what we do in space to life down here on Earth. He also talks about the new wave of space exploration and how the Google Lunar X PRIZE is sparking a second space race.

The main interstitial last about 50 seconds and is visible both on the CNN 'Just Imagine' website (link to all the space content) as well as on our team site (soon)! In addition there is a 3 minutes 27 second piece that follows Bob to the University of Toronto's rover test facility and the MacDonald Dettwiller high bay. The coverage also includes a riveting photo book of quotes from Bob's interview set to images from space history and present day life from the stunning Getty Images collection.

Included in the space themed feature is also a great story about the press of young faces that turned up for the European Space Agency's Astronaut recruiting session in London (the head of flight operations for ESA said that he thinks the best age for an astronaut is 45- but then again it is likely the next astronaut classes will not get their first flight for another ten years anyhow.)

There is also coverage of the other Google Lunar X Prize Teams! CNN's coverage is fantastic and is a big win, for Odyssey Moon, for GLXP and for space exploration in general! Check it out and be sure to tell your friends. First person to catch the 50 second spot live on CNN International wins!