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NASA Adds $5M Prizes For Robots, Solar Spacecraft

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the harvesting-the-day-star dept.

coondoggie writes "NASA today significantly expanded its Centennial Challenges program to include $5 million worth of new competitions to develop robots, small satellites, and solar powered spacecraft. One of the new competitions is the Sample Return Robot Challenge. Its purpose is to demonstrate a robot that can locate and retrieve geologic samples from wide and varied terrain without human control. This challenge has a prize purse of $1.5 million. The objectives are to encourage innovations in automatic navigation and robotic manipulator technologies."

4 of 17 comments (clear)

  1. So by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    So when is NASA going to stop pretending that rockets are the very best technology available and start using the antigravity propulsion systems the military has been hiding for decades now? Oh, I'm sorry if you thought that UFO was space aliens.

    The U2 and the stealth bomber were once also "UFOs" that the government denied any knowledge of.

    I am not suggesting a conspiracy per se. Only that crazy things are done in the name of "national security" such as withholding really advanced and amazing technology out of the fear that the "Commies" will use it against us. Nevermind that the real Commies are not "out there" but are right here in the USA holding positions within our schools, universities, and political offices but then I digress...

    The above is just my opinion. I can't prove one iota of it. It seems common sense to me though that NASA is a front organization designed to give a false idea about what the "cutting edge" is.

  2. Nice to see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    that NASA even though constantly bitching about its budget can afford to give away a million bucks for something that a high school student could design with a rc off road truck from radio shack and a arduino

    keep up the spending, it will lead to good things

  3. $5 million for buying magic carpets and burqa? by bigfootchick · · Score: -1, Troll

    I heard from anonymous sources that they will be spending $5 million for buying magic flying carpets and burqas.

    Probably the left-over will go for camel feed.... ;)

  4. some by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Some are domestic advanced craft..but some aren't. Had this confirmed to me by someone really in the know before.

    I'd just pass on this discussion on slashdot, way too many inside dwellers who dismiss things people see outside all the time, because "they just know better". It's a waste of time here, friend. Anyway, the above is FYI, we do have advanced craft, and have had for a long time, courtesy of operation paperclip and some german research, but we also have had a lot of visitors as well.