Posted on 07/17/2025 1:05:51 PM PDT by Red Badger
Space agency is looking for alternative ideas that can be incorporated into the design of the next iteration of SPEED flight vehicles.
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NASA is asking the public to help it with the design of an ejector system in its SPEED system. Image courtesy of NASA.
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July 16 (UPI) -- Dreaming of designing part of a rocket for NASA?
The space organization is offering a challenge for those who think they can solve a capability gap in its Stratospheric Projectile Entry Experiment on Dynamics (SPEED), a two-stage stratospheric drop test architecture.
SPEED is under development to bridge the state-of-the-art gap that many NASA flagship missions need to reduce system risk and allow more optimized designs via margin reduction, a NASA press release said.
"As current ejection system designs are conceptual, complex and untested, NASA is looking for alternative ideas that can be incorporated into the design of their next iteration of SPEED flight vehicles to increase system reliability," NASA said in a statement. "We are challenging the public to design innovative concepts for a separation mechanism that can be used to assess NASA and commercial re-entry vehicle stability."
The winnings: $7,000 in total prizes, including $3,000 for first place.
"A successful outcome of this contest is a credible 3D model of a separation mechanism that is both cost-effective by utilizing easy-to-manufacture methods (such as 3D printing or laser/water jet cutting) and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts and doesn't rely on high-energy systems like explosives," GrabCAD reported.
The challenge began on Monday and ends Sept. 8. More details on the design specs and contest rules are on GrabCAD.com.
https://grabcad.com/challenges/ejection-mechanism-design-for-the-speed-test-architecture
Bill Clinton, Hunter Biden, and Anthony Weiner misread the “public ejection” headline and immediately applied to be one of the participants.
To all accomplished and wannabe inventors:
Here’s an opportunity to let your inner Rube Goldberg out, and explore engineering ideas. Nothing is off the table at this point. Dream big!
They want cheap...They can’t do cheap...............
Did a web search for “ACME ejection seat” thinking I could find a funny gif.....turns out, it’s an actual company!
WHO KNEW!? 🤣
Is their mascot a coyote?...................
Ejection systems are serious business.....which is what makes this request by NASA so bizarre....to me anyway.
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You’d think MIT or JPL could figure it.
NASA work is almost all done by contractors and always has been. The thing unusual about the this RFP is the breadth of possible performers.
$3,000 for first place. Wow.
My idea is to move the pilot to a console somewhere on the ground.
It’s weird, but sometimes a farmer or machinist brainstorms and thinks so far outside the box the “professional” engineers are in that they can trip light bulbs on ideas where none of the textbook trained brainiacs thought to look.
The problem of defeating the hedgerows in Normandie was solved by a sergeant.
Flight was solved by two bicycle mechanics from Ohio.
Don’t underestimate the genius of the common man.
Knot enough coils as the rate of compression will result in pancakeious smashious.
Does Richard Gere and a gerbel count?-)
The Coast Guard issued a public call for a compact life raft system. I was 2nd runner up. It can be fun. I will give this one a shot.
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