Topic: NASA Considers Offering a Prize Incentive for Space Exploration Achievements

[Astronuc]

NASA Plans Cash Prizes in Wake of SpaceShipOne Success
By Robert Roy Britt, Senior Science Writer, for Space.com
posted: 08:00 am ET
23 June 2004

NASA will soon go where it has never gone before, offering cash prizes for space exploration achievements. The first prizes, modest in monetary terms, could be announced later this year, SPACE.com has learned.

In the wake of SpaceShipOne's historic suborbital flight Monday, NASA officials reiterated the federally funded space agency's recently announced plans to offer awards for commercial spaceflight milestones.

The idea was first announced by NASA earlier this month. The agency has created a Centennial Challenges office to manage the prizes. An initial list of 129 possible challenges was winnowed to 15, but NASA had not said what they are.

The prizes might range up to $30 million for the attainment of goals such as a soft lunar landing or bringing back a piece of an asteroid, according to Brant Sponberg, Centennial Challenges program manager.

The first prizes, offering no more than $250,000, might be announced by the end of the year, Sponberg said in a telephone interview today.

"Our intent is to get at least one and possibly several announced this year," he said.

Morale boost  . . .  more at http://www.space.com/news/nasa_prizes_040623.html

OK, folks, sharpen your pencils or fire up your CAD software!

[remcook]

first challenge is set: develop a lunar lander

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9122-lunar-lander-is-nasas-biggest-challenge.html

[Astronuc]

NASA's Centennial Challenges Program

http://exploration.nasa.gov/centennialchallenge/cc_index.html