LAS
CRUCES, NM – There's something
in the air here. And that's the result of a partnership between the X Prize
Foundation and the State of New Mexico to create nothing less than the world's
first true rocket festival.
The
X Prize Cup and Holloman Air Force Base in neighboring Alamogordo here have
joined forces to produce a thrill-filled Air
& Space Expo extravaganza, to be held this coming weekend, October
27-28.
This
first ever Air & Space Expo will give spectators a unique view of flight –
from historical aircraft to the future of spaceflight, said Bretton Alexander,
Executive Director of Space Prizes and the Wirefly X Prize Cup in Washington,
D.C.
"People
will be able to walk from one end of the history of flight to the other, and
imagine what might come next and how they can be a part of it," Alexander
said.
A
bottom line for showcasing an array of vehicles that can take to the sky: Create
the first-ever "live" air & space expo with both launch and
flying activities throughout each day.
The
49th Fighter Wing is the host wing at Holloman
Air Force Base and supports national security objectives with, for example,
mission-ready F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighters.
"It
will be a two-day air and space show like never before," said Brigadier
General David Goldfein, 49th Fighter Wing commander. "We are going to have
flying demonstrations and static displays of all the aircraft in the Air Force
inventory," he said, intermixed with commercial space companies competing
in the X Prize competition.
Edge-of-the-seat thrill
Clearly,
one milestone-making event is the Northrop Grumman Lunar
Lander Challenge. Indeed, this signature event speaks to the mantra behind
the Wirefly X Prize Cup: Revolution Through Competition.
The
lunar lander competition is running hot and heavy, given $2 million in prize
money at stake for the teams that can launch their lunar landers into the sky
and return them safely to a simulated lunar surface within the allotted time.
"We
are excited about the chances of a team winning prize money in the Northrop
Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge this year," Alexander told SPACE.com.
"Watching the teams compete is an edge-of-the-seat thrill ... anything can
happen!"
Also,
there's another aspect of this year's Challenge that's very new and novel.
"There is a logical continuum between the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander
Challenge and the Google Lunar X Prize," said Will Pomerantz, director of Space
Projects for the X Prize Foundation.
The
Google Lunar X Prize is a recently announced robotic race to the Moon to win a
$30 million prize purse. Private companies from around the world will compete
to land a privately funded robotic rover on the Moon that is capable of
completing several mission objectives, including roaming the lunar surface for
a distance, as well as send back to Earth video, images and data.
"So
far, well over 200 people have requested registration material from us,"
on the Google Lunar X Prize, Pomerantz told SPACE.com.
Both
this Saturday and Sunday – October 27 and 28th – the Wirefly
X Prize Cup and Holloman Air and Space Expo will fill the skies and imagination,
from the 8:00 a.m. gate opening at Holloman Air Force Base to 5:00 p.m. closing
time.
Spirit of innovation
The
free and open-to-the-public spectacular will feature seven hours each day of
live rocket launches, air show performances, as well as the Northrop Grumman
Lunar Lander Challenge vehicle competition. Ground and static displays of
rockets, NASA show-and-tell exhibits, robots and planes, including military and
warbird aircraft, are part of the revelry.
One
special event among many is the display of finalist ideas from teams of high
school students from all over the United States, all focused on winning the
2007 Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award. The proposed ideas would
accelerate the personal spaceflight industry.
The
ten finalist ideas range from reducing the shock vibration of rockets to a belt
that would allow people to play sports in micro-gravity. Winners will be chosen
by popular vote, and announced at the closing ceremonies on Sunday, October 28,
at noon. The first place team will receive a $5,000 grant, followed by $2,500
for second place and $1,500 for third.
The
award itself is a large, bronze rocket ship trophy, created especially for this
competition by Erik Lindbergh, an artist, aviator and grandson of famed aviator
Charles Lindbergh.
Gawk watch
What
else can you expect to see at the Holloman Air & Space Expo?
You'll
be on gawk watch seven hours each day, witnessing non-stop launch and aerial
activities. Your sightseeing agenda includes:
- Amateur
rocket launches
- Air
Force jet fighter demos including the F-22 Raptor, F-117 Nighthawk, the F-16
Fighting Falcon and the F-15 Eagle
- Jump
teams
- Aerobatic
performers
- Vintage
aircraft and warbirds
If
you need to give your neck a rest from watching the sky, take a walk through
nearly 30 acres – that's right, 30 acres – of ground displays featuring 100
exhibitors, NASA show-and-tell, rockets, rovers and robots, military aircraft,
flightline chalets, souvenir vendors and food/beverage concessionaires.
By
the way, while in Alamogordo, put on your to-do list a visit to a very special
museum nearby – the New Mexico Museum of Space History. Check this museum out
and its incredible array of exhibits, IMAX presentations, plus indoor and
outdoor rocket and space hardware on display.
For
more information on the New Mexico Museum of Space History, go to: http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/
Leave your hat on
For
you last-minute procrastinators out there, if you are flying from a different
state, it is best to arrive at the El Paso Airport in El Paso, Texas. This airport is fairly small and easy to maneuver. The airport is about
one-and-a-half hours from the city of Alamogordo.
Holloman
Air Force Base is located off the 70 freeway. From El Paso – or from the south –
just take US 54 to US 70 West, then exit at Holloman Air Force Base. From the west,
follow US 70 and exit at Holloman Air Force Base, and from the east, follow US
70 and exit at Holloman Air Force Base.
Please
use Holloman's main gate entrance off of Highway 70.
Officials
at the X Prize Cup have posted notice that the weather is typically in the 70's
during the day and 40's to 50's in the evening. They recommend that you leave
your hat on – that is, protect yourself from the sun. Don't forget to bring
comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera, and make sure
you drink plenty of water.
For
detailed information and last minute updates regarding the Wirefly X Prize Cup
'07 and Holloman Air and Space Expo, put your computer on an internet
trajectory to: http://space.xprize.org/x-prize-cup/
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