Team FREDNET GLXP Mission Concept

Fred J. Bourgeois, III , Sean C. Casey, and Team FREDNET

Abstract: Team FREDNET (www.teamfrednet.org) is demonstrating that Open Source development is a viable way to solve complex real-world

problems. FREDNET Mission teams are based upon the efforts of volunteers from all over the world. By employing Web 2.0 technologies, we are

establishing a development environment where disciplined experts collaborate in teams to address technically challenging mission objectives.

Our principle mission is to land a robot on the moon and return HD images and video of the lunar surface by December 2012. This mission is, however,

just a first step in demonstrating the successful integration of open source technologies for space exploration, and lays the groundwork for an ongoing

open-space development organization. Through continuous multinational collaborations, Team FREDNET intends to develop the means for the peaceful

exploration of solar system resources and seeks to reduce the load on our fragile Earth-bound environment.

Lunar Science Workshop, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA – Jul. 21-23, 2009 –

Three Teams, Many Goals, One Primary Mission

Team FREDNET is really three very different Teams, each focused on completing different

and extremely important functions, and each of those functions are essential to the

development, success, and completion of each of the other Teams. These Teams are (1) the

Open Source Development Team, (2) the Open Participation GLXP Mission Team, and (3)

the Business Development Team. Not one of these Teams can exist without the cooperation

and support of the other Teams, and the whole of Team FREDNET cannot succeed without

the success of all three of these essential internal sub-Teams. For a simple sports analogy,

think of these as Offense, Defense, and Coaching.

Business Development Team

Finally, in order to build the technologies and execute the Mission, we

have an Open Participation Business Team. Their job and long range goal

is to create, shape, manage, market, describe, promote, and fund the

activities of Team FREDNET, thereby producing an integrated package

that we can present to our Sponsors, Partners, Investors, and Clients that

demonstrates our vast range of capabilities. This package will show that

(1) the GLXP Mission is a not-for-profit demonstration of the advantages

and capabilities of a new-style Space Development business, (2) Space

Commercialization can be accomplished in newer, better ways using

component Open Source techniques customized for the Space

Environment, and (3) Open Space Development can be beneficial and

profitable for all of our peoples, nations, and economies.

Open Source Development Team

The Open Source Development Team is the most visible of our organization. This is the

place where most people want to work, the area where all the cool gizmos and essential

operating software will be discussed, requirements laid out, specs defined, designs drawn

up, and code generated. Initially, this Team gets all the attention, all the buzz, and in the

long run this Team develops most of the stuff we need to complete the primary

mission. That stuff falls into many categories, including hardware, software, systems,

code, as well as things more esoteric, like management software, collaboration tools, and

means and methods for working together over great distances with the most efficiency and

best results. In the long run though, not every item developed by this Team will be used in

our primary mission. In fact, this Team's charter is to "Make Cool Stuff" that can either be

used in Space, or helps make things that can someday be used in Space. The goal is to

build a catalog of Space Components, all the things that are necessary to make Space

Commercialization more Open, Cost-Effective, Productive, and Accessible. This Team

also has the huge burden of working within all of the laws of all of the countries that the

participants live within.

The Teams motto is "Make Cool Stuff, Make Space Exploration More Accessible, Have

Fun, and Stay Out of Jail!“

Open Participation GLXP Mission Team

The second internal division is the Open Participation GLXP Mission Team (or just

"Mission Team"), which is somewhat less visible at this point in our mission

development. Like the Open Source Development Team, the Mission Team invites

anyone to join and participate in the Mission development process. While this

Team's development product will also be published as an "Open Source" product, the

specifics of what is included within the Mission are a little more closely held, until

we reach the point of Mission Execution. That is, the specific plans for which Open

Source products will be used in the Mission are considered confidential until such

time as we launch the Mission and subsequently land the Mission on the Moon to

win the Google Lunar X PRIZE.

After we've put things together, tested them, and proved they can work, we then

release that integrated design for the rest of the world to review, contribute to,

change, or enhance. We hope to see another competitor use our already-

successfully-completed Mission as a template they use to take Second Prize in the

GLXP. That would be the ultimate validation that our Open Source methodology

works!

Summary

We are demonstrating that Open Source development is the best way to solve complex real world

problems. We're doing something important here, this stuff matters! The Moon is just our next

stepping off point, to start developing the means and methods to develop and utilize our nearby Space

Resources, reducing the load on our fragile Earth-bound environment. Besides, what kid (or adult)

doesn't want to drive a rover on the Moon?! It may sound a little corny, and I've said it before and will

keep saying it: we are one people, one planet, working together to solve complex, real world

problems. Ask not what your planet can do for you, but ask what you can do for your planet. Join

Team FREDNET and help us win this race!

Conceptual avionics

architecture for the

Team FREDNET

Lunar Lander.

Example avionics architecture for the Team FREDNET Lunar Lander.

The new body support for the WRV1 lunar rover. Jaluro v0.1 - Drive-by-wire Picorover Demo 1.3 degrees in action. 270 grams

and 292 spikes - third attempt works - max slope

10º

Three FREDNET Rover Proto-types

FREDNET Lander Conponents

The RFX1200 and RFX2400 daughter boards provide RF interface

(RX+TX) for the 1.2 and 2.4 GHz bands. The receivers have an

AGC range of 70dB. The TX and RX frequencies can be controlled

separately (split mode) and the board are even capable of full duplex

operation.