Posted on 02/08/2006 6:11:44 PM PST by KevinDavis
NASA is drawing up plans for six new Centennial Challenges as part of the agency’s series of contests that offers cash prizes for technological achievements.
The space agency is seeking comments from potential competitors and partners on draft rules for each of the proposed new Centennial Challenges. The contests range from the development of affordable spacesuits to launching fuel pods into orbit or flying a controllable vehicle driven by a solar sail.
Prizes for the planned challenges, which are not yet finalized, could range from $500,000 for the spacesuit contest to $5 million for the fuel pod contest, according to the draft rules released by NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.
“These are some of our first large, million-dollar and multi-million dollar prizes,” Brant Sponberg, NASA program manager for the Centennial Challenges effort, told SPACE.com. “I think we’re in the ballpark with a lot of these prizes, but we’re not on the pitcher’s mound yet.”
The current draft rules for the six new contests were developed by in-house by NASA personnel, Sponberg said, adding that before the agency launches the competitions officially, feedback from those who will compete in them is vital. “The whole idea is to go out eternally and to have the people competing for this, or whoever, let us know what needs tweaking.”
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
I got a challenge for Nasa, get our astronauts to space on our own equipment so we don't have to bum rides from the commies any more....
Well, hold on to your wallets...
I'd halve their budget too and tell em if they can't get it done on that I'd be sending them all to siberia.
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