This is an informal competition that invite you to submit short reviews, comments, ideas, refinements or just about anything that our fictional Vestal Lunar Corporation (VLC) might use to refine and improve the solution. This includes any technical "show stoppers" that could prevent this concept from working.
You must factor in information provided in the VLS_OVERVIEW_V1.0 PDF (26 slides) that is found in the resources tab for this challenge. Conformance to this information will factor into scoring of submissions. If possible, please reference the page/slide number when making specific comments or adding ideas. Please also consider more technical items in VLS_TECHINFO_V1.0 also in the resources tab.
If your idea involves timing, costing or potential SpaceX business issues, please assume for the sake of analysis:
- SpaceX HLS Starship concept works well, including LEO refueling and orbital fuel storage by 2026
- The Vestal Lunar system would be built by 2028 and operate by 2030
- SpaceX would sell an HLS Starship to VLC for $1B that VLC could modify as it wanted
- The cost to VLC to build, tests and certify the lander for tourist operations is $2B
- SpaceX will launch the Vestal Lunar System (VLS) to LEO for $100M
- SpaceX can launch 100+ tonne of fuel to LEO for $20M a trip = $240M for 1200 tonnes of fuel + 8 tonne cargo
- SpaceX can launch a crew of 4-7 to LEO on Crew Dragon to LEO for $100M
Prize
This challenge will award up to $300 to up to 3 teams, as follows:
- Up to $150 for one first place winner
- Up to $100 for one second place winner
- Up to $50 for one third place winner
Judging
Judging will be based on a 100 total possible points:
- Conformance to Vestal Lunar Concept V1.0 PDF (and other provided information) = up to 40 points
- Since there are a lot of moving parts in this concept, please take a good look at the Vestal Lunar Concept V1.0 PDF provided, and then reference given page/slide numbers that you are commenting on or adding ideas to.
- Impact of submission on the Vestal Lunar concept = up to 40 points
- Impact such as analysis that shows a flaw in the concept, or a way to modify the concept to improve it. This could be better safety, lower cost, new or better capabilities ...
- Creativity of submission = up to 10 points
- How novel is idea? Did this add something to the Vestal Lunar concept that is unexpected and valuable?
- Quality of submission = up to 5 points
- Results of public voting = up to 5 points
Rules
Participation Eligibility:
The challenge is open to all adult individuals and private teams. Submissions must be made in English. All challenge-related communication will be in English. Individual competitors and teams may originate from any country, as long as United States federal sanctions do not prohibit participation (see: https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx).
No specific qualifications or expertise in the field of engineering, farming or chicken keeping is required. Prize organizers encourage outside individuals and non-expert teams to compete and propose new solutions.
To be eligible to compete, you must comply with all the terms of the challenge as defined in the Challenge-Specific Agreement.
Registration and Submissions:
Submissions must be made online (only), via upload to the HeroX.com website, on or before the posted contest deadline. No late submissions will be accepted.
This challenge allows multiple submissions per individual/team. Should you have multiple entries to submit to this challenge, they will be considered separately. Whether or not multiple entries from the same individual or team may be chosen for a prize is up to the discretion of the Challenge Sponsor. You are not required to submit multiple entries, if that option is available.
Intellectual Property Rights:
All Intellectual property rights, if any, in the idea, concept, or activities demonstrated by the Submission will remain with the Innovator.
Selection of Winners:
Based on the winning criteria, prizes will be awarded per the Judging Criteria section above. In the case of but a tie, the winner(s) will be selected based on the highest votes from the Judges.
In the case of no winner, Sponsor reserves the right to withhold the Prize amount. In place of the original prize amount, Sponsor must issue a Consolation Prize to the team or individual closest to the winning solution in the amount of at least 15% of the total original prize purse.
Awarding of the Prize:
The Individual Submitter or Team Captain is automatically designated as the Recipient of the prize monies. The Individual’s or Captain’s name must also match the Authorized Person on the receiving Bank Account. No changes are permitted to the prize Recipient after the Submission Deadline date. If you wish to change who would receive the prize monies, those changes must be completed prior to the Submission Deadline. View our Knowledge Base article here for how to change Team Captains.
Judging Panel:
The determination of the winners will be made by the sponsor, WidgetBlender LLC.
Additional Information
- By participating in the challenge, each competitor agrees to adhere to the HeroX Intellectual Integrity Policy and promises to submit only their original idea. Any indication of "copying" amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification.
- All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
- All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
- No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
- Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law.