NASA's Centennial Challenges: Innovative Solutions for the Future

Sam Ortega

Program Manager, Centennial Challenges Program, NASA

Abstract

NASA has been conducting innovative challenges with non-profit partners since 2005 having awarded nearly $5M in prize money to date. Through the challenges NASA wants to stimulate innovation by rewarding achievement and not just effort and encourage novel solutions from non-traditional sources. NASA believes citizen-inventors, student teams and private companies of all sizes can provide creative solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation as well as educational outreach opportunities at multiple grade levels.

We currently have six challenges in various phases of being conducted. With three of them going into a team registration phase later this year. Areas of competition include Space Elevator technology; power beaming and tethers, Aviation: high fuel efficient aircraft, Autonomous Control System technology for sample return robots, Energy Storage technology for night operations of robots and Orbital Launch technology related to nano-sat delivery services.

Presented at ISDC 2011 - Huntsville. Paper and presentation charts are not available.