Monthly Archives: January 2015

Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser (Credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)

The Government Accountability Office has denied a legal challenge that was filed by the Sierra Nevada Corporation over a NASA contract award to SpaceX and Boeing for crewed commercial flights.

Sierra Nevada was one of three finalists for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract, which was ultimately awarded to Boeing and SpaceX. Sierra Nevadas bid was for its Dream Chaser an airplane-like spacecraft thats capable of landing on a runway to deliver astronauts to the ISS.

The company challenged NASAs decision to award a contract to its competitors based on factors including the cost of Boeings proposal and concerns over SpaceXs ability to meet the terms of its proposal to NASA.

In its decision which has not been fully released to the public due because, according to the GAO, it contains proprietary and source selection sensitive information the GAO rejected Sierra Nevadas arguments. In its statement, the GAO stated that it had reviewed the conclusions reached by NASA to determine if they were reasonable, and consistent with the evaluation approach NASA set out in its solicitation but made no conclusions as to the relative merits of each proposal.

In a statement issued earlier today, the Sierra Nevada thanked the GAO for reviewing its proposal, and stated its commitment to continue to develop the Dream Chaser spacecraft.

SNC remains fully committed to being a part of returning world-class human spaceflight and enhanced cargo capabilities to low-Earth orbit, the company said in its statement. In doing so, SNC firmly believes that the Dream Chaser will play a central role in shaping the future of space transportation with its unique capabilities which address a wide spectrum of needs.

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GAO Denies Sierra Nevada's NASA Spacecraft Contract Protest

The classic picture of the manufacturing industry is that of conveyor belt upon conveyor belt of identical, mass produced products on the inside and large chimneys belching smoke into the atmosphere on the outside.

But this years list of 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing shows that the present and future of manufacturing is something altogether different. Its a world of custom products, 3D printing, nanoscale chemistry and a green outlook.

Consider Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, the 29 year-old founders of Ecovative. These two friends use an environmentally-friendly process to grow mushrooms that they then turn into packaging materials to replace the styrofoam protecting, say, a Dell laptop. Best of all, their packaging costs the same or even less than traditional materials.

Other examples of green thinking in the manufacturing list include Max Winograd, 27, the cofounder of NuLabel, which designs adhesive labels for products without those annoying paper backs that you just end up throwing away. Then theres Jeremiah Chapman, 24, whose company Crisp creates products that extend the life of oil in deep fryers for restaurants; and Gabe Blanchet and Jamie Byron, whose company Grove Labs will be selling mass produced indoor gardens for people to easily grow their own fruits and vegetables.

Another theme that emerged in this years list was the big impact of 3D printing to make customized products. For example, theres Nikki Kaufman, 28, whose company Normal produces 3D printed earbuds that are custom fitted to your ear. Or Kegan Schouwenburg, 29, whose company Sols creates insoles for shoes that are customized for its customers feet.

Also innovating with 3D printing are Aaron Kemmer, Jason Dunn, Mike Chen, and Michael Snyder of the company Made In Space. They developed a 3D printer thats capable of working in zero-gravity. Their first printer is already making custom tools for astronauts on the International Space Station, and a bigger one is going up later this year.

Another theme in manufacturing this year was robotics. The list includes Antoine Balaresque and Henry Bradlow, whose Lily Robotics has developed a drone that can follow you around and take pictures like a flying GoPro; Jordi Muoz, 28, who cofounded 3D Robotics, the worlds second largest commercial drone manfacturer; Blake Sessions and Arron Acosta, whose company Rise Robotics builds parts for bigger robots and Natalie Panek, 29, who helps design robotic systems that will be used in outer space.

As for future iterations of the list? We might start looking for them among the kids currently playing with Roominate toys. This company, cofounded by Alice Brooks, 26, makes building toys that employ basic engineering principles from pulleys to electric circuits, allowing kids to learn STEM concepts while they play.

The FORBES 30 Under 30 in Manufacturing list was created using nominations from a variety of sources, and was reported by Joann Muller, Dan Alexander, and Alex Knapp. The judges for this category were Ted Duclos, President of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies; Jenny Lawton, the CEO of Makerbot; and John Nottingham, cofounder of Nottingham Spirk. Thanks to all of them and to everyone who nominated candidates.

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30 Under 30 Reinventing Manufacturing In A Greener, Tech-Savvier World