Voting Open For Enterprise In Space Orbiter Design Contest

The open submission period for the National Space Society (NSS) Enterprise In Space Orbiter Design Contest is closed and
the polls are now open for the public to vote for the best NSS Enterprise Orbiter design submitted.

For those not familiar with the project, the goal of the Enterprise In Space (EIS) project is to design, build, launch, orbit, and re-enter a satellite. This satellite, the NSS Enterprise Orbiter, will carry approximately 100 competitively-selected student experiments to space. The mission will orbit the Earth for approximately one week before re-entry and recovery. The satellite will then embark on a tour of museums world-wide before becoming a permanent exhibit at a museum yet to be named. Enterprise in Space is a project of the non-profit National Space Society of which I am a former Vice President. Among those who have endorsed the project are Buzz Aldrin, John Billingsley, Hugh Downs, Nichelle Nichols, and Eugene Roddenberry. See also the Enterprise in Space Board of Advisors.

As a part of the desire to involve the public in the project's progress, it had been decided that the exterior design for the spacecraft would be determined by way of a public contest. Designers and artists were encouraged to submit science fiction inspired designs.

My involvement in the project began in July when I was asked to join the EIS Board of Advisors. Then in mid-November I was asked to take on the job of managing the Enterprise In Space Orbiter Design Contest. I accepted. In addition to managing the contest I will also be serving as one of the judges in the contest's final selection round. In that round, I and six other judges will formally select the Grand Prize, First Prize, and Second Prize winners. While a major factor in our decision will be the results of the public vote, we will also be considering the design originality, visual aesthetics, and engineering practicality. While engineering considerations were not meant to be a driving factor for the contestants, they will by necessity be a factor in the construction of a spacecraft that will have to carry some 100 student experiments to space will meeting launch-vehicle-imposed restrictions on dimensions, weight, center of mass, etc.

Even though I am a judge in the contest, I still took the opportunity to vote for my favorite design submission. Voting closes on December 19 at midnight UTC so why not vote now in the Enterprise in Space Orbiter Design Contest .

| Return to the Blog Index | This entry was posted on Saturday, December 13th, 2014 at 4:23 pm and is filed under National Space Society, Space Art, Space Exploration.