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NASA issues challenge for public design of ejection system
UPI ^ | Lisa Hornung

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


TOPICS: Education; History; Military/Veterans; Science
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 07/17/2025 1:05:51 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Bill Clinton, Hunter Biden, and Anthony Weiner misread the “public ejection” headline and immediately applied to be one of the participants.


2 posted on 07/17/2025 1:18:52 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try - AND - Every Time You Fall Down, Get The Frak Up! )
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To: Red Badger

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!


3 posted on 07/17/2025 1:19:26 PM PDT by lee martell
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To: Red Badger
"You're NASA for crying out loud. Now you are asking for ideas on how to build an ejection system? You're NASA. You put a man on the moon ..."



4 posted on 07/17/2025 1:20:13 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: plain talk

They want cheap...They can’t do cheap...............


5 posted on 07/17/2025 1:21:24 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: lee martell; Red Badger

Did a web search for “ACME ejection seat” thinking I could find a funny gif.....turns out, it’s an actual company!

WHO KNEW!? 🤣


6 posted on 07/17/2025 1:23:42 PM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: V_TWIN

Is their mascot a coyote?...................


7 posted on 07/17/2025 1:26:18 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Ejection systems are serious business.....which is what makes this request by NASA so bizarre....to me anyway.

-

You’d think MIT or JPL could figure it.


8 posted on 07/17/2025 1:34:03 PM PDT by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave!)
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To: V_TWIN
It's got to be in their catalog,


9 posted on 07/17/2025 1:43:16 PM PDT by BipolarBob (The Weather Bureau announced they will shut down the entire Sharknado early warning system and staff)
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To: V_TWIN

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.


10 posted on 07/17/2025 1:44:17 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Red Badger

$3,000 for first place. Wow.


11 posted on 07/17/2025 1:49:50 PM PDT by alternatives?
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To: Red Badger

My idea is to move the pilot to a console somewhere on the ground.


12 posted on 07/17/2025 1:50:33 PM PDT by cymbeline
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To: V_TWIN

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.


13 posted on 07/17/2025 1:51:00 PM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Red Badger
I Win.
14 posted on 07/17/2025 2:12:51 PM PDT by gdzla (Tyrannis Seditio, Obsequium Deo)
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To: Red Badger

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.


15 posted on 07/17/2025 2:20:54 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: gdzla

Knot enough coils as the rate of compression will result in pancakeious smashious.


16 posted on 07/17/2025 3:04:22 PM PDT by LastDayz (A Blunt and Brazen Texan. I Will Not Be Assimilated.)
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To: Red Badger

Does Richard Gere and a gerbel count?-)


17 posted on 07/17/2025 4:47:07 PM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than saving to WORK of !US:-)p)
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To: Red Badger

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.


18 posted on 07/17/2025 7:02:02 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes.)
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