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School of Mines and CU students are national finalists in a contest to create businesses using space technology.

Twenty-three college students from Colorado are finalists in a national competition called Lunar Ventures Student Business Plan Competition, requiring them to create business ventures using space technology. These students, in four teams from the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado, developed wireless sensor network software, a rover to remove hazardous waste, a method of collecting meteorites, and navigation services for robotic rovers --- all for operation on both the Earth and the Moon. Six other finalist teams are from MIT, Georgia Tech, and San Diego State University.

All Lunar Ventures student teams conceived their ventures and wrote business plans during the fall semester. These plans were submitted to a panel of judges with both technical and business expertise. The judges selected 10 finalist teams to compete for $25,000 in cash and additional services to help launch their venture, including an opportunity for a $100,000 investment. The final round of the Lunar Ventures Competition will be held May 19-21 in Golden. "With Colorado's extensive involvement in the space industry, we are thrilled to see such strong student proposals in the Lunar Ventures competition from this state," said Dr. Gary Cadenhead, director of Lunar Ventures.

Students comprising finalist teams from Colorado are: Dave Brokering, Danny Chong, Ryan Dubisher, Mark Gefreh, Travis Leach, Daniel Miller, Jeff Parham, Stephanie Quintana, Doug Bean, Arta Doci, Brian Erickson, Lilia Paradis, Darick Baker, Luke Erickson, William Rance, Erik Sphar, Keric Hill, Amanda Heaton, Torsten Zorn, Jennifer Gertz, Keith Davis, Jeffrey Parker, Sean O'Dell and Kathryn Hamera. Descriptions of their ventures follow:

Artemis Sensor Networks (ASN)
University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines
ASN provides embedded software that improves scalability, optimizes power expenditure and increases performance for wireless sensor networks. These networks have particular applicability in locations where human intervention is difficult such as on the moon, in polluted areas, and in severe weather conditions.
Team Members:
Doug Bean
Arta Doci
Brian Erickson
Lilia Paradis

Genesis Contrivance
Colorado School of Mines
Genesis Contrivance offers two products to industries operating without human presence in hazardous and/or remote locations - a multipurpose utility rover and a specialized repair bay for assisting, maintaining and repairing the rover.
Team Members:
Dave Brokering
Danny Chong
Ryan Dubisher
Mark Gefreh
Travis Leach
Daniel Miller
Jeff Parham
Stephanie Quintana

Kronos Colorado School of Mines and College of William and Mary
Kronos will develop technology and techniques to provide solutions for collecting meteorites on the Earth and later on the moon.
Team Members:
Darick Baker
Luke Erikson
William Rance
Erik Sphar

Space Navigation and Communications Corporation (SNACC) University of Colorado
Space Navigation and Communications Corporation will provide navigation and communication services to satellites in the lunar environment, providing highly accurate solutions for lunar satellites, landers, and rovers. The constellation will also have the unique capability of providing the Earth with navigation and communication coverage of the far side of the moon.
Team Members:
Keric Hill
Amanda Heaton
Torsten Zorn
Jennifer Gertz
Keith Davis
Jeffrey Parker
Sean O'Dell
Kathryn Hamera