Aug 31, 2012

Moon Rover Challenge Comes to Shibuya

The next White Label Space Rover Challenge will take place tomorrow and next Saturday in the vibrant and chic Shibuya district of Tokyo, and will be broadcast live on Ustream and Twitter.

The aim of the Rover Challenge event is to motivate and inspire the next generation of space explorers through hands-on science and engineering activities. The Rover Challenge includes exciting activities that demonstrate to the audience the challenges of driving the White Label Space rover over the Moon's rough surface.

Participating in the event will be local elementary school children from grades four to six.


This event is the next in the series that started with the previous Rover Challenge held in Sendai this August.


Dates
 Day1: Sep 1st, Sat 14:00-17:00 (Japan Local Time)
 Day2: Sep 8th, Sat 14:00-17:00 (Japan Local Time)

Venue: Hachirabo Children's Science Center, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

Contents
 Day1: Building a kit rover
 Day2: Driving the White Label Space rover

Broadcasting
 Ustream: http://ustre.am/NVSb
 Twitter: @wlsjapan

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Aug 30, 2012

Descent Trajectory Discussion

These photos are from the trajectory analysis presentation by Bart Hertog currently underway at the White Label Space HQ.



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Aug 24, 2012

Tethered Flight Test 1

A short duration hovering test hop was conducted.

Objectives for the test were:

  1.  Test the ground, flight command and data logging systems. 
  2.  Demonstrate that the vehicle has sufficient thrust to actually liftoff. 
  3.  Record orientation data to see how the IMU coped with the flight

All objectives were successfully achieved.

The photo below shows the vehicle at the point of lift off. Video will be posted shortly.


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Aug 13, 2012

Any Day Now

This photo shows the lander prototype suspended from its support frame. Just a few minor steps are needed before its first hovering test! 

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Aug 11, 2012

Inspiring the Children of Sendai

Sendai and more broadly the Tohoku region of Japan, is recovering from the earthquake, and White Label Space wishes to present a positive vision of the future to the children growing up in that challenging environment. The rover development of White Label Space is being led by 
Kazuya Yoshida who has a deep relationship with the Sendai region of Japan through his position as professor of aerospace engineering at Tohoku University. 

Recently Sendai National College held an exciting education event for local school children with the assistance of White Label Space. The event called "Rover Challenge" aimed to teach some science and engineering through an interesting and exciting hands-on experience.

To begin the educational event, Mr. Hakamada, CEO of White Label Space Japan, described the exploration activities of White Label Space and in particular the lunar rover being developed in Japan. The children listened curiously, before they got the chance to drive the WLS rover in a simulated obstacle course on the Moon's surface. This was very popular amongst the school students. The supervisors whispered secretly to the WLS members that they also wanted to try the game later on.



After the game, each of the children got to make their own kit rover with a simplified design that still kept the main driving functions, deepening their understanding of the challenges of rover design. Supporting the children for the kit assembly were members of the local Robot Contest club that previously won the Tohoku district tournament and currently aims to win the national championship. During the assembly of the kit rovers, no conversation could be heard.





The WLS members were concerned that the kit construction would take too long but most of the children finished making their kits in time and started to play with it in their own ways.



Hopefully some of the children will go on to become space engineers in the future. Thanks very much to the college students and the teachers who helped us!

This event was covered by the largest local news paper, Kahoku Shimpo.

 If you are interested in the Rover Challenge, please contact White Label Space Japan.

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Aug 8, 2012

First Hovering Test Soon

Our prototype hovering rocket vehicle is almost ready and the first tethered test could take place any day now.


Note that the vehicle doesn't have any legs yet since it will be fully suspended by tethers for the complete duration of the test.

This prototype vehicle uses pulse modulated monopropellant thrusters.

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Aug 7, 2012

Wanted: Spacecraft AIT Engineers

Do you have 1 to 2 years experience working on real spacecraft hardware in a commercial/institutional (but non-academic) environment? 

We are currently looking for spacecraft AIT engineers to work in the Netherlands supporting structural, thermal and functional tests.

European nationality or work permission preferred. Relocation support available. 

Please send CV to: careers@whitelabelspace.com

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