BonNova

BonNovA, a design firm specializing in innovative invention and engineering for aerospace and all industries, was one of the competing teams in the Northrop Grumman X-Prize Cup Lunar Lander Challenge for 2007, 2008, and 2009.
LLC Team
The BonNova rocket team for the Lunar Lander Challenge was led by their chief engineer, Allen Newcomb, a rocket engineer with a career background of combined experience in avionics and design for extreme environments that can expose equipment to extreme heat such as oil wells, and race cars with brutal vibrations and extreme EMI.
As an avionics engineer at SpaceDev, Newcomb built the rocket avionics for SpaceShipOne. He designed some of the electronics and all of the Mission Control and operations software for CHIPSat.
Newcomb named the lightweight spaceship he designed "Lauryad," after a spaceship in the novel Flight, by American novelist, poet and actress Vanna Bonta, whom Newcomb credited with inspiring the endeavor. The team consisted of the Chief Engineer, Creative Director, a GNC Aerospace Engineer, a Computer Engineer, Machinist Engineer, and pit crew member. The team mascot was a Chow Chow named Sky. Bonta funded the start up and served as BonNova's Creative Director.
Lunar lander
The team built two vehicles, Lauryad I and II. The lunar landers weighed 200 lbs and 300 lbs, respectively, fueled by Propane and N2O, with ~350 lbs. thrust. The lightweight lander is constructed from high-strength carbon fiber and weighs only 77 pounds dry.
Space access
BonNova attended the 2009 Space Access Society conference. Aerospace engineer Bob Noteboom presented the team's vehicle design and progress report. Team members Allen Newcomb and Vanna Bonta were present. The team mission statement, vehicle overview, and original technology were presented. One patentable invention was a Rocket Engine Overpressurization Release Protection System (REORPS), a concept invented by Vanna Bonta and engineered by Newcomb that releases pressure during ignition stages, which Noteboom said protected the graphite engine from blowing up on a few tests.
BonNova announced it intended to attempt to claim the Level 1 prize. It accomplished successful engine tests and brief liftoff within less development time than other teams who had over 2 years head start, but announced withdrawal the weekend before the scheduled date. In a competition where everyone pushed the limits of rocket efficiency, BonNova's rocket stood out as the lightest-weight and smallest vehicle.

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