NASA Planning Six More Centennial Challenges

FleaPlus writes "NASA has announced plans for six more Centennial Challenges for space-related technological achievements. The X Prize-inspired competitions will have cash prizes of up to $5 million. The challenges are for an orbital fuel depot, a lunar-capable all-terrain vehicle, a pressure suit, a long-term rechargeable power system, a micro reentry vehicle, and a maneuverable solar sail. NASA is currently requesting feedback comments on its current draft of the contest rules."

Comments

Wish List

[quokkapox]

I long for a method of joining objects using fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. I'd even settle for some delicious nutrient-rich orange drink. Where are our priorities?

space elevator

[Anonymous Coward]

that orbital fuel depot sounds like a great place for one of those space elevators.

Hey NASA,

[quokkapox]

Could we please focus on robotic exploration of the greater solar system, for now? It's cheaper, safer, and it stimulates development of better robots and computers that drive them. It's cheaper to send multiple generations of machines than one generation of manned spacecraft.

We're having enough trouble convincing ourselves to keep Hubble (a robot currently in orbit) operational.

You kicked out that nitwit, an encouraging step. Now defy Bush's grand plan for the boondoggle of manned Mars exploration and keep doing good science.

Re:Hey NASA,

[MichaelSmith]

Now defy Bush's grand plan for the boondoggle of manned Mars exploration and keep doing good science.

Thats right, lets never go anywhere. How about we explore Antarctica with robots while we are at it. Much cheaper in the long run. Find a rock you can't climb to the top of: send a better robot next year.

I'm sorry, some people (not slashdot people, I know) want to do more than sit on their backsides for their entire life. Some of us were born to go places.

Not for a minute do I expect the US government to pay for that to happen. What I do expect is for them to not feed billions of dollars into the companies who have the expertise to provide launch services, to the point where it costs 100 million dollars to get anything into orbit at all.

Sorry for the rant. We are not going to get cost effective access to space (for humans and machines) while LM and Boeing are so addicted to revenue from NASA.

Re:Hey NASA,

[Dr. Eggman]

Few nations are impressed by robotic missions. I mean, how many people here know that the Soviets made robotic missions on the moon? Now that you people know, how many care?

Nations are only impressed by extravegant explorative programs. It was the same with the race to the north pole, who cares if you flew over it in a plane? You need to walk there, make a speech, and plant your nation's flag, proclaiming it for all the world!

5 million doesn't seem like alot.

[masterpenguin]

In the grand scheme of things, a 5 million dollar prize doesn't seem like alot of money. With trillion dollar budgets, and billions going to nasa, 5 million is a drop in the bucket.

Re:5 million doesn't seem like alot.

[Vengeance]

Right. It's not a lot. In fact, it's positively miniscule.

If you can think of a better way for NASA to get the technology it wants for damn near free, let them know.

Is this the future of space research ?

[Gopal.V]

There was a time when the military invested heavily into the space research program. These days with the cost cutting and budget crunches forced upon Nasa - they seem to have outsourced their research to private enterprenuer and pioneers with such challenges.

Maybe it is a better way to utilize government money - but the research might end up being owned by a commercial entity rather than just being merely used by such an entity. Lockheed and Boeing have been workhorses for such research in the past (think about how the Jeep evolved).

Does the future of space research lie with private efforts ?
Or is it headed eastwards (or further westwards) towards China ?

Re:Is this the future of space research ?

[SchwarzeReiter]

I think China could do interesting things, but it is still too far behind. They need the next ten years to develop, what NASA already has. I wish China would team up with the Russians or ESA, because together they could make NASA run for their money. But I don't think this will ever happen.

Reentry vehicle?

[ColaMan]

Hmm. A smaller version of MOOSE would almost do the trick for the reentry one. Would need a bit of avionics though.

(Goes off to look up old General Electric patents)

Centennial ?

[Anonymous Coward]

What 'Centenial' are we talking about here? NASA wasn't founded util the 1950's so any centennial of NASA is still many decades away.

Re:Centennial ?

[Rob the Bold]

I think this is related to the "Century of Flight" centennial celebrated in 2003 -- in reference to the Wright Brothers. NASA seems involved in thst celebration, they commissioned the theme song, scheduled events, etc.

Challange Price $5, Nasa Price $500m

[cheekyboy]

Shouldnt nasa have a damn clue and expertises, minus the useless managers, to do this
stuff cheaply, why ask private to do for $5m, what nasa with its 9-5 people * 3 oversight
and redtape - for $500million. When there is no profit margin to 'match' to, you dont
care iof it costs 100x

Difficult at best

[db32]

I think some of these projects are an order of magnatude easier to accomplish. Pressure suit, moon vehicle, rechargable power source (someone should really just send them a pack of duracells and claim the 5 mil)...all of these seem like they would be pretty simple to research, build, and prove here on earth. Orbiting fuel depot? I think the ammount of time, energy, and money involved in making that one work isn't anywhere near the same challenge level. How do you prove that one? You would have to spend an enormous ammount just getting the thing up there to see if it will work, and god help you if you have to make any changes to your design.

How about a Human Reentry Vehicle?

[digitaldc]

Instead of a micro-reentry vehicle that safely sends back chicken eggs, how about a plan for developing an 'Escape Pod?'

If something goes wrong during orbit, take off, or reentry at least this would provide a means to safely get back to earth if your space vehicle is damaged or malfunctioning.

Good Science is what you make of it.

[Shivetya]

The advancements generated to put men on Mars are not all known to us at this time. Just as we did not know the effects of going to the moon in the 60s.

Is it a boondoggle to set hard goals? If man is going to have a presence in space then we need to start the work now. Sure we've been to the moon before but staying there is a whole new ballgame. Orbit? Been there, done that, hell we are practically trapped in it.

Robots to the stars? Sure, but until we start pushing ourselves out there all we are going to have is the naysayers holding us back forever. Get there and then the naysayers can off to their next project.

I suggest to quite a few /. readers that if any other leader had proposed going to Mars and the Moon again it would have been received a whole lot differently. NASA is finally again moving forward, we finally have someone who killed that damn shuttle program. Can you imagine being saddled with that damn system for another 20 years? The rest of the world would have been watching us from up there instead of looking to the stars to find us.

Sometimes good science requires setting and then obtaining goals that others find silly or wasteful. Go look in history back at many of the major discoveries. You will find quite a few many labeled as folly until it was done

The 7th challenge

[jurt1235]

Keeping the site from being /.ed?

Brilliant Idea

[Gogogoch]

I think a hovercraft would be the best design for the all terrain vehicle competition. The moon is very bumpy, you know, and a hovercraft could, like, hover of it all. And if you made the hover very, very, big you might be able to hover right back into moon orbit - the gravitation pull of the moon being so much less than that on Earth.

Nasa must be very stupid not to have thought of this concept before - duh.

- My hovercraft is full of eals.

Space Elevator 2010

[Wyrd01]

I think these monetary incentives to innovate are great. Nothing like a little competition to get people thinking creatively and working hard to realize their dreams. It has done wonders for the autonomous vehicle and commercial space shuttle fields, hopefully that will extend to all these other proposed areas.

One other piece of "future tech" I am hoping it will pay off in is the development of the first space elevator. Another organization has set up an X-Prize style competition, one every year until 2010 when I suppose they're hoping to have something viable. Probably a little overly optimistic, but competition brings out the best in people and I think it's great they are harnessing that power for good.

Go check it out: http://www.elevator2010.org/site/index.html They held their first competition last year. You can check out the results and see the pictures in the "Photo Gallery". Hooray for progress!