October 18, 2005

John Bluck
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 
Phone: 650/604-5026 or 604-9000
E-mail: jbluck@mail.arc.nasa.gov

RELEASE: 05_55AR

NASA GIVES $100,000 FOR TETHER/ROBOT CLIMBER CONTEST PRIZES

MEDIA ADVISORY:You are invited to NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett 
Field, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 22, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT, and 
Sunday Oct. 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT, to see a dozen contestants 
competing to win $100,000 in prize money for demonstrating the best 
'space tethers' and 'tether climber' robots. To reach NASA Ames, take 
the Moffett Field exit from Highway 101, and drive east to the main 
gate. Just before reaching the gate, turn left onto R.T. Jones Road 
and drive about one block. The outdoor contest area will be in a 
parking lot on the right side of the road near NASA Ames Gate 18. 
Media representatives do not need NASA-issued visitor 'badges.' 
Reporters will be able to interview contestants. In addition, there 
will be a space tether and tether climber robot photo opportunity 
Friday, Oct. 21, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT at the Spaceward 
Foundation, Mountain View, Calif. To reach Spaceward from Highway 
101, take the Shoreline Blvd. exit south. Cross Middlefield Road, 
drive one-half block, and turn left into the Spaceward (Gizmonics) 
parking lot at 709 N. Shoreline Blvd.

A dozen contestants will vie for $100,000 in prizes Oct. 22 – Oct. 23 
for the best space tethers and beamed-power, 'tether climber' robots 
at NASA Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley.

The NASA Centennial Challenges Program is providing the prize money 
for the contest conducted by the Spaceward Foundation, Mountain View, 
Calif., in partnership with NASA.

"This is an exciting start for the Centennial Challenges program," 
said Brant Sponberg, program manager for Centennial Challenges at 
NASA Headquarters, Washington. "The innovations from these 
competitions will help support advances in aerospace materials and 
structures, new approaches to robotic and human planetary surface 
operations, and even futuristic concepts like space elevators and 
space solar power satellites," Sponberg said.

The Beam Power Challenge focuses on the development of wireless power 
technologies for a wide range of exploration purposes, such as 
human-lunar exploration and long-duration Mars reconnaissance. For 
this challenge, teams developed wireless power transmission systems, 
including transmitters and receivers, for powering robotic climbers. 
The robotic climbers will be tested to see which one will lift the 
most weight to the top of a 164-foot (50-meter) cable in less than 
three minutes.

"We are thrilled with our partnership with NASA, and we're excited to 
take the tether and beam power challenges to the next level," said 
Meekk Shelef, president of the Spaceward Foundation, a 501(c)(3) 
non-profit educational organization dedicated to furthering the cause 
of space access in educational curricula and the public. "These two 
competitions focus on the development of lightweight, yet strong 
tether materials and wireless power transmission technologies, two of 
the key technologies required for future space applications such as 
the space elevator," Shelef noted.

Contest organizers say that improved tether and power beam 
technologies are required to enable a 'space elevator.' If built, a 
space elevator may well provide a safe, low-cost way to lift 
payloads, such as satellites, into orbit. Engineers envision that a 
space elevator would include a ribbon about three feet (one meter) 
wide, extending from an anchor at Earth's surface to a counterweight 
orbiting above the planet. Electric 'climber' machines would travel 
up the ribbon carrying payloads into orbit.

NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate manages the Centennial 
Challenges program. During the program's first two years, prizes will 
total $400,000 for four prize competitions. The winners of each 
initial 2005 challenge will receive $50,000. A second set of tether 
and beam power challenges in 2006 will be more difficult. Each 
challenge will award $100,000, $40,000 and $10,000 for first, second 
and third places. For more information about the Centennial 
Challenges, the competitions, the Spaceward Foundation and 
high-resolution images, please visit:



http://centennialchallenges.nasa.gov





http://www.elevator2010.org





http://www.spaceward.org





http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/multimedia/images/2005/tethercontest.html

	
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