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New York Times - Arthur C. Clarke, 90, Science Fiction Writer, Dies: “Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose seamless blend of scientific expertise and poetic imagination helped usher in the space age, died early Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956. He was 90… Mr. Clarke’s reputation as a prophet of the space age rests on more than a few accurate predictions. His visions helped bring about the future he longed to see”. The image above is taken from Sir Arthur’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the movie that made so many of us interested in our future in space.

Yesterday’s meeting (Melanie, Tish, David O., Giulio and Philippe) was the first held in a Qwaq Forum workspace. See the recent reviews of Qwaq Forums by Tish and Giulio. The image below shows the team editing an Excel spreadsheet in-world -one of the most interesting features of this business oriented VR environment.

Besides discussing some veeeery secret things, we welcomed Philippe and David announced the creation of a Lunarez social network based on the Ning platform.It was decided to give a final polish to this website and start spreading the good news that we are moving to space for real.

Philippe Van Nedervelde, CEO, E-spaces

Philippe Van Nedervelde, a polymath expert in many technology domains including nanotechnology, VR and telepresence, has joined the team. Of course he does have a Second Life avatar (Philippe Golding) but he prefers other next generation VR meeting environments such as Qwaq Forums and has created a Lunarez QF meeting space.

Wired - NASA Dreams of an Interplanetary ‘Second Life’ for Mars Crew: NASA thinks it has an answer to the psychological challenge of interplanetary isolation. While aerospace engineers are designing the Ares rockets to be deployed in the Mars missions, a more starry-eyed contingent at NASA is testing networking and virtual reality technologies that they think will connect the first wave of Mars pioneers with their families, friends and colleagues back on Earth, in a 3-D virtual world cut from the mold of Second Life or World of Warcraft.

Especially relevant: If NASA’s virtual world gambit seems like a pipe dream, there’s no doubt that astronauts traveling to Mars, or returning to the Moon, will enjoy a wealth of tech communications options that the Apollo crews couldn’t have imagined.

Chris McKay, a planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, says that with high-resolution videocameras, podcasts and web forums, the first Mars invaders could stage the ultimate reality show, with some becoming super-icons back on Earth.

Just knowing that their every move is being watched by a rapt audience at home could help the Mars voyagers find the strength to solider on in the face of “long-term conditions of isolation, privation and psychological stress,” says Robert Zubrin, author of The Case for Mars and founder of The Mars Society.

“The psychological boost enjoyed by Mars-bound astronauts of knowing that they are ‘golden people,’ celebrated as heroes by millions on Earth, cannot be overstated,” says Zubrin.

Ben Goertzel (Zarathustrapocalypse Zeta in SL), CEO, Novamente

Ben is a world class expert in artificial general intelligence (AGI) technology, and his company Novamente is researching the next breakthroughs. Don’t miss his talk on AGI Meets the Metaverse. We are all very happy to have him on board - he has indicated that he may be able to contribute to the cost-effectiveness of the project by developing a smarter-than-human AI on a second hand Iphone. Probably joking, but with Ben you never know. By the way, happy 2008 to everyone.

Tish Shute (Tara5 Oh in SL), Editor, UgoTrade

Tish does not need an introduction: her blog UgoTrade is very well known as one of the best references on the technology and culture of the new participatory internet and the 3D VR metaverse. We are honored and happy to have her on board.

Attended: Melanie, Pablo, Giulio, the 3 Davids and Soph for a few minutes. Giulio gave a PPT presentation with ideas and question marks and there was a lively brainstorming on project definition and fine-tuning, technologies, organizational structure, community, PR and of course fundraising. Some conclusions:

The two parts of the project: the actual lunar mission and the associated edutainment and advocacy activities, should be integrated but must be considered as two separate and parallel tracks.

Using collaboration oriented, participatory 2.0 technologies not only for VR meetings and software development but also for the actual design and rapid prototyping of mission hardware concepts (Mindstorms and fabbing) is a defining feature of this project that can make it very attractive to 2.0-oriented potential collaborators and supporters. Much and perhaps even all mission hardware, software and strategies should be open-sourced.

The project is, of course, going to cost a lot of money, so fundraising at all levels (members, sponsors, public funding for educational activities, investors) is of paramount importance. For investors, it will be necessary to develop a clear business model and plan.

An important questions was raised: what credibility can a group of “avatars who want to go to the moon” have. I think there are two possible and different answers. One is that many team members are _also_ avatars, but mainly technology and business professionals with (too) many years of relevant and applicable experience. Another is, “so what? Why the hell shouldn’t avatars go to the Moon”? I can remember the early press about Linux, Apache, Mozilla, Open Office, Blender, Open Croquet… where they talked of “those geeks who want to compete with Microsoft”, and of course the geeks created much better products than Microsoft with much less money. I am sure open source, participatory hardware and system development “by the people”, enabled by suitable technologies can be very successful.

Next meetings will be on Jan 11 and 15 at the same time (10am PST, 1pm EST, 6pm UK, 7pm EU).

Pablo Mancini (Pablo Potvin in SL), Founding Partner, Argentonia

Pablo Mancini is a Founding Partner of Argentonia, one of the largest and most creative Spanish speaking communities in Second Life, and a journalist and blogger interested in everything 2.0 from participatory media to fabbing. He will be a Lunarez spokesman in Argentina and South America, and coordinate the worldwide Lunarez fabbing network.

Carnegie Mellon University is pursuing the $20 million Google Lunar X Prize for landing the first independent off-planet exploration machine on the moon. The prize is offered by the X Prize Foundation with funding from Google. The team is seeking experienced allies in launching, landing and the full range of engineering challenges posed by lunar exploration. Red Whittaker is leading the team. From the CMU Moon Prize website:

The formative consortium will exploit RI’s deep experience fielding complete systems and building and field-testing prototype exploration robots. Other key parts of the team will be:

Launch Vehicle provider – the largest single cost is the booster that sends the Moon rover on its four-day journey. The team seeks a launch provider able to work in the spirit of the Google Lunar X Prize competition: quickly and at low cost.
Landing System provider – the project requires the development of a new landing system that works perfectly on its first and only chance to land safely on the Moon.
Communications system – the rover will need to phone home, using either communications satellites in lunar orbit or a direct beam back to receiving stations on Earth.
Imaging and computing systems – the Moon’s high radiation levels can destroy components in camera sensors, giving images a speckled appearance. The radiation can also cause computer glitches.

First core team project meeting, December 28, 2007

Time: 10am PST/SLT, 1pm EST, 6pm UK, 7pm Europe

Location: DotNetNuke island (DotNetNuke 120, 145, 23)

Agenda: further definition and fine-tuning of the project, organizational structure, initial press contacts, fundraising…

We have simple powerful communication and collaboration tools powered by Google Apps. Our core team members have Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Documents and Google Talk accounts that use the domain lunarez.com, helping them to stay connected and work together more effectively.

Enter with:

http://start.lunarez.com - Service start page

http://mail.lunarez.com - Mail (rebranded gmail)

http://calendar.lunarez.com - Calendar

http://docs.lunarez.com - Google documents

We believe space is important. It is important to go back to the Moon, and after that to move forward to the planets and to the stars. First with robotic explorers, then with human explorers and settlers. For some of us this is a goal in itself, which does not need “justification” in terms of other goals and objectives. At the same time, we believe the new wave of space exploration and settlement will provide countless scientific, industrial and economic benefits.

While we think governments will continue to play a very important role in space, we believe no new technology or industrial endeavor can really prosper under the monopoly of governments, or big corporations. On the contrary, it is important to give the initiative back where it belongs, to creative individuals and innovative technology companies. Therefore, we applaud the Google Lunar X PRIZE as a historic initiative in this direction.

Source: Ugotrade - Virtual Bali

There is a another important opportunity for Second Life residents to participate in the United Nations Climate Change event in Bali today.
Congressman Edward Markey will be in Second Life.

Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, has decided to use Virtual Bali, on Second Life, for his speech to the UN Conference instead of spending the carbon to fly there. You can meet him and hear his presentation on the OneClimate island this Tuesday at 8pm EST, 5pm PST and 1.0 am in the UK. Or you can watch it on the web.

The National Physical Laboratory unveils the new interactive model of the remarkable TRUTHS satellite in Second Life.

The new interactive model of the TRUTHS satellite was scheduled to be unveiled in Second Life to an audience at the United Nations Climate Change meeting in Bali. Unfortunately a technical hitch prevented the streaming. But, I was lucky enough to attend in Second Life as the UK National Physical Laboratory Science Fellow, Dr Nigel Fox, spoke and took questions from the Second Life audience. TRUTHS is a vital step forward for an operating system for planet earth....

Source: Directions Magazine - Optech Partners With Google Lunar X prize Team

Toronto, Canada – Optech Incorporated, a provider of advanced lidar survey instruments, announced that it has become a corporate partner with Odyssey Moon Limited, the first official team of the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE competition.

Odyssey Moon made its first public debut on December 6th at the Space Investment Summit in San Jose, California, unveiling its plans to make history with the first private robotic mission to the surface of the Moon in pursuit of the Google Lunar X PRIZE. The inaugural Odyssey Moon mission will involve an unique small robotic lander designed to deliver scientific, exploration and commercial payloads to the surface of the Moon. Odyssey Moon is a private commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man with long term plans for commercial lunar development.

Optech Incorporated is a privately owned Canadian high technology company that leads worldwide markets in advanced laser-based imaging and survey systems. Optech’s lidar (laser radar) technology was the first of its kind in orbit and is currently on the way toward Mars aboard the NASA Phoenix Mars Lander. Lidar based technologies for safe landing and rover navigation are expected to play an essential role in robotic and human lunar missions.

Optech’s technology was featured at the roll out of Odyssey Moon in a demonstration of a lunar rover prototype, the K-10, developed in collaboration with the NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group. Optech’s ILRIS-3D sensor is used by the rover to provide 3D terrain visualization for navigation and science. The rover system was successfully demonstrated this past summer during field trials at Haughton Crater in the Canadian Arctic.

“We are very pleased to be partnered with Odyssey Moon,” said Don Carswell, President of Optech. “Optech technology first reached orbit in 2004 and is now headed toward Mars. We look forward to seeing Optech technology on the Moon, the next logical step.”

Odyssey Moon was founded by Robert (Bob) Richards, who co-founded the International Space University and has managed multiple spaceflight programs as Director of Optech Space Technology. “Commercial space needs commercial thinking,” Richards commented. “Optech exemplifies the NewSpace approach and I am proud that the company is playing a role in Odyssey Moon’s business and technical plans.”

About Optech
Optech is the world leader in the development, manufacture and support of advanced laser-based survey instruments. We offer client-driven lidar solutions in airborne terrestrial mapping, airborne laser bathymetry, laser imaging, mine cavity monitoring, industrial process control and space-qualified sensors for orbital operations and planetary exploration.

About Odyssey Moon
Odyssey Moon Limited is a private commercial lunar enterprise headquartered in the Isle of Man involving partners in many nations. The company is an innovative partnership of aerospace, banking, property, and international legal interests that have come together to offer unique commercial lunar business services and products for humanity’s permanent return to the Moon. Odyssey Moon is dedicated to the long term responsible development of the Moon for the benefit of all Humanity.

For further information, please contact:

Daven Maharaj
Manager, Marketing and Business Development
Space Technology
Optech Incorporated
300 Interchange Way, ON Canada L4K 5Z8
Tel: [905] 660-0808
http://www.optech.ca

Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides
Director of Communication & Outreach
Odyssey Moon Limited
15 - 19 Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM11LB
Tel: [626] 429-6603
http://www.odysseymoon.com

Sumona Datta ()
Phone: 905-660-0808

Source: CNET - Google Lunar X Prize’s race to the moon has begun

Step aside, NASA. The race between private sector teams to capture the $30 million Google Lunar X Prize is under way.

The teams, some of which have divulged details about their plans this week, are required to land a privately-funded robotic spacecraft on the lunar surface, explore the nearby area, and transmit results of the exploration back to Earth. The grand prize is $20 million, with a second prize of $5 million and bonuses of $5 million.

One announcement came on Thursday from a group called Odyssey Moon, which said at an event in San Jose, Calif., that it was the first to complete official registration.

“We believe in competition and we believe in this prize. Future generations will view the Google Lunar X Prize as the turning point of the 21st century, when humanity realized the moon’s critical role for prosperity and survival in space and on Earth,” said Robert Richards, Odyssey Moon’s founder. Richards has a long history of private sector space efforts, including founding the International Space University and running Optech’s space division.

Odyssey Moon was in something of a stealth mode until Thursday morning. It turns out to be a company headquartered on Britain’s Isle of Man with plans to contract out development work to Canada’s MDA Corporation. Other space industry veterans who are involved include Ramin Khadem, the former chief financial officer of Inmarsat, and Christopher Scott, former director of Lockheed Martin’s space operations commercialization division.

According to a recent post from the X Prize Foundation, about 350 potential teams have asked for the guidelines and registration forms. About 34 percent of those people identified themselves as being from the United States.

Another expected official entrant will be a team from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, who already have a Web site up at lunarrover.org. It notes that moon rovers face a more extreme environment than Mars: “Noontime temperatures are hotter than boiling water. Night is colder than liquid nitrogen, and lasts for two solid weeks. Robots risk freezing, frying, radiation, and lunar dust, which has microscopic jagged edges leading to rapid clogging of joints and seals.”

The so-called CMU Moon Prize team includes the university’s chief roboticist, William “Red” Whittaker, who has with his colleagues formed a privately-held company called Astrobotic Technology to enter the competition. Astrobotic announced on Wednesday that it chose Raytheon for its development of “a next generation of high-precision, propellant-efficient lunar landing technologies.” (Here’s an interview with Whittaker on the topic.)

And MSNBC.com reported this week that Allen Newcomb of Team BonNova is planning to pursue the Google Lunar X Prize “with a vehicle based on our Lunar Lander Challenge vehicle, the Lauryad.”

Newcomb, who designed the avionics and flight software for the hybrid rocket engine used in Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne, was referring to the vehicle entered in a Northrop Grumman competition.