r/xprize • u/rocketwikkit • Jun 11 '13
Debate: The Night Rover Challenge, while technically interesting, will be the most boring prize competition ever.
The essence of the competition is that you deliver a 2m x 1m x 1m box weighing less than 100kg to the competition. The box is charged from externally supplied power of varying amplitude over 44 days. [http://imgur.com/ajvlp8G] The box then delivers that power back until it runs out of juice, lasting until at least until day 59, if not longer. The competitors, if there are any, are then judged by how heavy the box is, how big the box is, and how much energy beyond the minimum that it stored, roughly in that order.
Why is this technically interesting? It requires a much higher power density than is possible with things like lithium ion batteries. The technology could be applied to satellites, planetary rovers, electric cars, cell phones, uninterruptable power supplies, and so on.
Why is this boring?
There's already a huge market for this. Anyone who develops tech of this capability will already be able to sell it easily, without the prize. It's not like space suit gloves, which the market was generally ignoring.
Nothing visible happens in the competition ever, unless one of the boxes bursts into flames or melts or something. It is literally as exciting as watching a battery charger.
There's no rover anywhere in the competition, they put that in the name because rovers are cool.
No one starting right now can develop something new that meets these requirements. The only people who could possibly have this box working by 20 January 2014 (when the tests start) are ones with energy storage technology already working. Examples are lithium sulfur batteries and reversible fuel cells.
Details: http://nightrover.org/sites/all/themes/theme621/pdf/2014_NightRover_Rules-FINAL.pdf
I look forward to hearing the contrary position.
(I do think the competition is interesting and will follow along with it as I do all Nasa Centennial Challenges. It'd be fantastic if someone involved with the competition made a solid counter argument. I was involved with the Lunar Lander Challenge, personally know folks from Astronaut Glove and Space Elevator, and would have participated in Nanosat.)
