New York, NY (PRWEB) December 09, 2013
Google X Prize contenders and new applications for old technology mark the successful close to the 3rd International Workshop on LunarCubes.
Flexure Engineering hosted leading space scientists, engineers and researchers from around the world at the 3rd International Workshop on LunarCubes (LCW 3) recently held November 13-15 in Palo Alto, California.
Flexure Engineering, sponsor of a series of workshops furthering Lunar and space exploration, announced the close of the 3rd International Workshop on LunarCubes (http://www.lunarcubes.com). Russell Cox, Director of Research at Flexure Engineering, noted the event was “highly successful with world class technical presentations, presentations by Google X Prize contenders and a personal welcome address from Pete Worden of NASA’s Ames Research Center.” Cox went on to describe highlights of the collaborative and educational event which drew space scientists, engineers, researchers, enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and investors from around the world.
First, Cox was pleased to report that three teams in contention for the Google Lunar XPrize (Astrobotic Technology, Inc., Interorbital Systems, and MoonExpress, Inc.) attended the conference and made presentations. He noted the significance by explaining, “These are three private space programs with plans to fly within the next two years. They each claim to have tens of customers and to have follow up missions in the works as well. They are demonstrating commitment to Lunar exploration.” He elaborated that increased Lunar exploration was one of the bigger themes of the workshops – “Lots of people are going to the Moon.” He then listed Russian, Chinese, and Korean missions in addition to the two current US missions.
Next, Cox was excited to see a novel application of older technology. Rex Ridenoure of Ecliptic Enterprises presented a talk titled CubeSat-Class Spinning Landers for Lunar Missions where he presented work supporting the use of spinning technology for Lunar applications. Cox explained that the spinner technology was a workhorse from the Sixties to the Nineties and fundamentally simplified the creation of communications satellites during that time. He said, “I believe that the spinner concept will be a foundational technology for Lunar Landers and other kinds of Lunar applications for the next couple decades.” He was animated in his praise, “This is an old technology that simplifies the exploration of the Moon after simplifying communications satellites. Everything old is new again. And, they’re really cool!”
Cox is already looking forward to the 4th International Workshop on LunarCubes which will be in October 2014 in Silicon Valley. He’s particularly excited about building on the addition of investors and startup organizations present at the recent workshop. “We’ve added a new dimension of space startups – which we’re calling astropreneurs – and we’ll certainly be drawing that component out as we move forward.” Reaching the Moon is complicated but Flexure’s Lunar Initiative shows the way to pave a flexible path back to the Moon. Cox is ready to lead the way, “We’ll be back next year – bigger and better!”
Contact:
To find out more, contact Russell Cox at Russell.Cox(at)FlexureEngineering(dot)com or 206-200-9848.
About Flexure Engineering
Flexure Engineering provides the aerospace and scientific communities with unique engineering services and testing products that are required to produce one of a kind, first of a kind, and best of kind instrumentation.