The NASA program that offers cash prizes for the
development of new capabilities to help meet the agency’s
exploration and program goals is conducting its first
workshop June 15-16 at the Hilton Hotel, Washington.
Centennial Challenges is a novel program of challenges,
competitions, and prizes. NASA plans to tap the innovative
talents of the nation to make revolutionary, breakthrough
advances to support Vision for Space Exploration and other
NASA priorities.
“Centennial Challenges is a small but potentially high-
leverage investment by NASA to help address some of our most
difficult hurdles in research and exploration,” said NASA
Administrator Sean O’Keefe. “I look forward to stimulating
competitions and very innovative wins that advance the
nation’s Vision for Space Exploration,” he added.
The goal of Centennial Challenges is to stimulate innovation
in fundamental technologies, robotic capabilities, and very
low-cost space missions by establishing prize purses for
specific achievements in technical areas of interest to NASA.
By making awards based on achievements, not proposals, NASA
hopes to bring innovative solutions from academia, industry,
and the public to bear on solar system exploration and other
technical challenges.
“From 18th century seafaring, early 20th century aviation to
today’s private sector space flight, 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. “The
Centennial Challenges Program is modeled on the successful
history of past prize contests, and I am proud the Office of
Exploration Systems is shepherding this path-finding program
for NASA,” he added.
“This workshop will help NASA develop challenges that are of
high value to the agency,” said Brant Sponberg, Centennial
Challenges Program Manager. “The workshop also will provide
input into what challenges NASA announces this year and next
year and what the rules for those competitions will be. It
should be an invigorating way to lay the groundwork for this
exciting program,” he said.
NASA invites individuals and organizations interested in
competing to attend the 2004 Centennial Challenges Workshop.
The agenda and registration information for the workshop is
available on the Internet at:
http://www.tisconferences.com/nasa_centennial/
NASA plans annual Centennial Challenges workshops. For
information about the program on the Internet, visit:
www.centennialchallenges.nasa.gov
For information about NASA and agency programs on the
Internet, visit:
