NASA Centennial Challenges gets funding boost
/-- Coming Soon: More funds for Centennial Challenges - The Launch Pad
/-- Good News for Centennial Challenges? - Selenian Boondocks
The program has been sustained for several years by early funding of about $10M. Prize money was carried over year to year when a Challenge was not won. The program had very low overhead as NASA let private organizations manage the contests and bring in other sponsors to help with operating costs, e.g. Northrop Grumman backed the Lunar Lander Challenge. In subsequent budgets, money for new Challenges would usually be included at the start of the appropriations process but then disappear for no publicly stated reason by the time the NASA budget was finally passed. The $4M above seems safe at this point and can no longer be moved out by some anonymous Congressional staffer in a key position who wants to boost a project at a NASA center back home.
2009 was a fantastic year for the Challenges program with $3.65 million awarded in four different competitions (Lunar Lander, Regolith Excavation, Power Beaming, and Astronaut Glove). Hope this rate of check writing continues.
Posted 12/12/09 | 01:18:58 by TopSpacer | Filed under: Space Prizes




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