Originally published April 5 2005
NASA Centennial Challenge program uses X-prize approach
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
NASA has announced that it will grant a $50,000 bounty to the first individual or group to develop lightweight, high-strength tethers or a power system to send energy wirelessly to a robot. There will be a second round of challenges in 2006 with prizes of up to $100,000. NASA is currently lobbying Congress to allow rewards of up to $40 million as the agency seeks to spur private technological innovation.
NASA announced Wednesday that it will award $50,000 each to the first teams to develop a Space Age tether and a wireless method for powering robots.The program seeks to spark technical innovations by following the model of historical challenges like the 1919 Orteig Prize that inspired Charles Lindbergh to make the first nonstop flight between Paris and New York."For more than 200 years, prizes have played a key role in spurring new achievements in science, technology, engineering and exploration," said Craig Steidle, NASA's associate administrator for exploration systems, in a written statement.The materials will be stretched in a head-to-head competition.High-tech tethers could play an important role in space missions if a proposal to build a so-called space elevator ever gets off the ground.The Beam Power Challenge, as the wireless power competition is being called, encourages inventors to find a way to supply a robot with enough power to climb to the top of a 50-meter cable in less than three minutes.Wireless power could help fuel robots and human exploration equipment on long-term missions to the moon or Mars, according to NASA.NASA plans to hold a second round of tether and beam challenges in 2006, the agency said in a statement released Wednesday.That would allow the Centennial Challenges program to set up competitions for more-advanced projects, like a human orbital flight.The space agency has also scheduled a press conference for Friday to discuss the Centennial Challenges program.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml