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NASA Unveils Centennial Challenges

Posted by samzenpus on from the step-right-up dept.

wonderfesten writes "NASA has finally got its Centennial Challenges program off the ground. Like the X Prize, the Challenges award cash prizes to private inventors who come up with solutions to problems. The first challenges are to design a light-weight, ultra-strength tether and a means of transmitting power wirelessly. But with a prize of just $50,000, will anyone give it a shot?" Details also available on MSNBC and Space.com.

11 of 262 comments (clear)

  1. Wireless power by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do not underestimate the power of a winnebago full of batteries.

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    liqbase :: faster than paper
  2. Ultra strength tether by imrec · · Score: 3, Funny

    Err... I got married a few months back. That 50 grand is mine soon as I tell NASA.

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    Note: This sig contains nine S's, nine I's and five O's which... means absolutely nothing.
    1. Re:Ultra strength tether by imrec · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh... LIGHT weight...

      Damn...

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      Note: This sig contains nine S's, nine I's and five O's which... means absolutely nothing.
  3. Gasp! by aendeuryu · · Score: 5, Funny

    Good lord! They want to combine a light-weight, ultra-strength tether with a means of transmitting power wirelessly. Read that again. A light-weight, ultra-strength tether with a means of transmitting power wirelessly. My God! Do you know what this means? Do you?!?

    Yeah, neither do I.

  4. I win.... by wpiman · · Score: 2, Funny
    "a means of transmitting power wirelessly."

    I submitted a one page white paper on using the Sun. I can't wait to get my $50,000?

  5. 50k is 50k by sjonke · · Score: 2, Funny

    And you know a wireless wall-power-level bunny vibe would have serious sales potential.

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    --- What?
  6. New prizes announced by DanielMarkham · · Score: 4, Funny

    With NASA trying to do too mnay things with too little money, I'd like to get in on the action as well.

    - $10 for first person to discover tenth planet
    - $15.75 for invention of anti-gravity device. Must include batteries
    - $17.50 for first person to deliver truckload of gold bullion to my house
    - $37.50 for proof of alien life

    I've got the money right here (pats wallet). Let's all not rush. Stand in line, please.

  7. Re:Give it to Tesla by Spad · · Score: 2, Funny

    I also remember reading in a Russian science and technology journal (Yiuniy Tehnik) in the early 90s, about a patent to have a huge solar array in space that would send the power to the ground as a microwave beam

    You're getting confused with Sim City 2000

  8. $50,000?! by Anita+Coney · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does NASA realise you can make that kind of money by simply working?!

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    If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
  9. Re:Space elevator? by gr8_phk · · Score: 4, Funny
    I have wondered why the space elevator people want to use transmitted power. Why not just have your tether be a loop with a pully on the satellite? Then you just clamp a payload on and turn a crank on the ground. You get bi-directional delivery at the same time. Now there are potential issues with the 2 strands and associated payloads running into each other, but that seems like it should be easier to solve than all the issues with robotic climbers with beamed power.

    Oops, I should have patented this variation of the Space Elevator before writing about it....

  10. Re:A good idea for wireless power would be lasers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are you the guy that fills in the "" parts of Star Trek scripts?