Spaceport Technology Design Competition Planned for 2003
University Student Teams Nationwide Invited to Participate
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACEPORT – University students from across the nation are invited to assist in the design of future spaceports under an annual competition jointly administered by the NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) and the Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI). The 2003 NASA Spaceport Engineering Design Competition will challenge student teams to design a Next Generation Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Distribution System to efficiently and cost-effectively support future reusable launch vehicles at existing and proposed spaceports nationwide.
“As NASA develops technologies for next-generation launch vehicles, we want to ensure that our nation’s spaceports will be able to accommodate these vehicles,” said Florida Lieutenant Governor Frank Brogan. “This competition will assist NASA’s spaceport technology programs at Kennedy Space Center while meeting our goal of increasing nationwide university support for space transportation. Naturally, we hope to see strong participation by Florida schools.”
Initial conceptual designs, based on basic criteria established by FSGC, FSRI and NASA, will be reviewed by a team of engineers and scientists at Kennedy Space Center to narrow the competitive field to five teams in December 2002. The five finalist teams will be invited to provide more detailed designs, receiving cash awards as they complete design milestones. A winning design will be selected in May 2003. The winning team’s members will receive another cash prize along with recognition during a ceremony at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
The spaceport technology theme builds upon successful MarsPort design competitions held over the past two years. Competition rules and design criteria are posted on the FSGC website at http://fsgc.engr.ucf.edu/spaceport/.
In addition to sponsorship by FSGC, FSRI and Kennedy Space Center, the competition will be supported by Spaceport Technology & Engineering Services, LLC; the National Space Grant Foundation; the Alabama-based National Space Science & Technology Center; the Florida Space Authority; and the Advanced Spaceport Technology Working Group. Other corporate sponsors are invited to join.
FSGC, hosted at the University of Central Florida, includes most Florida universities and colleges and is part of a nationwide NASA-sponsored network of 52 Space Grant consortia responsible for supporting space research and education projects. FSRI is an institute established by Governor Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature to stimulate Florida’s space industry diversification through academic support to space research and technology programs.
