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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.

2 of 262 comments (clear)

  1. Um'... makes sense why, too. by danalien · · Score: 4, Informative
    http://www.elevator2010.org is one of http://www.spaceward.org's 'flagship projects'

    What's 'spaceaward'? "The Spaceward Foundation is a public-funds non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the cause of space access in educational curriculums and the public." [found in NASA's press release: M05-083]

    --
    I don't claim I know more than I know, and if you know you know more than I know, then by all means, let me know.
  2. Re:Transmitting power wirelessly... by dingDaShan · · Score: 5, Informative

    The first person to wirelessly transmit power, Nikola Tesla, demonstrated such a feat before 1900. The wireless transmission of power is simply the tranmitting of electromagnetic energy. The process is very inefficient at high energy and it is likely that NASA simply wants a more efficient way to do so.