SpaceMETA

First Official Logo SpaceMeta GLXP Team XPrize

SpaceMETA^[1] is a Brazilian Group founded in 2010 to explore aerospace opportunities motivated by Google Lunar XPrize Competition^[2]

As one of the less than 30 active teams around the world (info as of 2012.),^[3] and selected to participate in a competition that offers US$ 30 MM for who first lands on the lunar surface and succeed to realize several special milestones (like send picture and movies to the earth, survive some days there, context some ancient sites from old missions, and walk 500 meters).,^[4] in its first mission, SpaceMETA decided to participate bringing rupture ideas to the race, considering to use at minimum level conventional and already used old age space technologies and solutions. SpaceMETA was the last team to be selected by the XPrize X Prize Foundation to participate on the GLXP, and the only one selected from Brazil pt:Brasil.

History

SpaceMETA history begins on the beach of Rio de Janeiro,^[5] where a group of friends, mainly from IT sector, walking every night at Copacabana beach sidewalk, and of course seeing the full Moon some times, have decided to continue its spirit of startup actions and, motivated by the GLXP, began a new company looking to bring innovation for the Space Adventures.

SpaceMETA has special interest in educational area and also decided to publish in its WebSite all details about innovations and patents for its first mission, called LUMEM (Lunar Micro Explorer Mission).

First Sponsorship

SpaceMETA is initially sponsored by Intel,^[6] which has the first right refusal for a first round of investment on a success case basis.

Founders

SpaceMETA was founded by Sergio Cabral Cavalcanti,^[7] a Research from UFRJ.

SpaceMETA Innovations

SpaceMETA Solitaire near Apollo 12

SpaceMETA Mission Overview Summary,^[8][9] as presented to the XPrize Committee, has proposed several rupture innovation approach for its mission. Actually the disclosed innovations are related with the following technical approaches:

1. Usage of ethanol as rocket fuel
2. Launch the vehicle not from the ground but a lifted launch using balloons / auxiliary craft
3. Usage of inflatable structures instead, to transport big things that should be armed there (like antennas and solar panels)
4. Infinity Motion - SpaceMETA doesn't use conventional energy system to create movement on the moon rover (called Solitaire^[10] (x-Frog and x-Blob)), but a NITINOL and Coil based kinetic energy converter called Infinity Motion.
5. Send information to the Earth not using electromagnetic waves, but a special Optical Modulation reflecting the solar light
6. During the movement of the Lunar Modules on the Surface, usage of the contact/impact process, so imbedded sensors will capture the echoes above the surface
7. Geographically, SpaceMETA plans to visit some SETI / Scientific related sites of interest on the Moon

Gallery

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  SpaceMETA Solitaire near Apollo 12

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  SpaceMETA Lunar Rover

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  SpaceMETA Windtunnel simulation

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  SpaceMETA windtunnel simulation

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  SpaceMETA supersonic pressure simulation

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  SpaceMETA rupture rocket design

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  SpaceMETA Solitaire Lunar Rover with NITINOL Legs Coil

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References

External links

• (Official SpaceMETA website at GLXP here)
• About SpaceMETA Conference ant SETI Institute 2011 GLXP Summit
• About Intel Sponsorship to SpaceMETA
• About SpaceMETA SocialNet Facebook
• About Founders Sergio Cabral Cavalcanti Interview
• About SpaceMETA on Official site in GLXP
• About SpaceMETA website
• About XPrize website
• About Intel Sponsorship to SpaceMETA
• About News of SpaceMETA
• About SpaceMETA on the Epoca Magazine
• About SpaceMETA on the ISTOE Magazine

Video Clips

• About SpaceMETA - Intel Interview
• About SpaceMETA Rocket Section Simulation
• About Supersonic Simulation ( by Edge of Space)
• About VELA Design (Veiculo Lançador)
• About Founder Sergio Cabral Cavalcanti Conference
• About SpaceMETA Robotics simulation with NAO
• About SpaceMETA Robotics Demo