Tim Pickens Interview Part 5

Video 5:  Rocket City Space Pioneers Interview on the Fred Holland Show Part 5 of 5

Tim Pickens Interview Part 5: In this interview, Tim Pickens, the RCSP team leader, discusses the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. He explains that there are 27 teams internationally currently participating in the competition.

Tim tells Fred Holland how Bob Riley, the governor of Alabama, announced at a recent press conference that he wanted to name the RCSP lunar lander for $1 million.

Tim Pickens discusses his background and being born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, or as he likes to say, “home grown.”  He is a self-taught propulsion guy, who actually has a business degree. He attended different technical and vocational schools and has a vast array of technical knowledge. His quest for information has been fueled by many questions about the space industry like: Why is this stuff so expensive to build? Why is space so difficult? Why can’t the common man afford to go to space? His goal was to cut through the red tape and get to the nuts and bolts of this stuff.

Currently, the RCSP have some major sponsors and are still working to get more. They are selling the real estate on the lander and giving people an opportunity to name the rover. Holland says this is like “Space NASCAR.”

The RCSP team is currently working on building a lander and plan to fly it in Huntsville in the heart of the Tennessee Valley. The first Google Lunar X PRIZE will be awarded in 2012. The RCSP are shooting to win the second place prize in 2013. Check out their website at www.rocketcityspacepioneers.com. It has videos (funny and serious), updates, and information on the hardware. Tim exclaims this competition is “what this town is all about!”

Tim Pickens Interview Part 5 Tags: Google Lunar X PRIZE, Dynetics, Tim Pickens, Rocket City Space Pioneers, Tennessee Valley, Lunar Lander

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