[Federal Register: August 16, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 158)]
[Notices]
[Page 47257-47258]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16au06-133]
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Notice 06-055]
Centennial Challenges 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of Centennial Challenges 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation
Challenge.
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SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2451
(314)(d). The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge is now scheduled
and teams that wish to compete may now register. The NASA Centennial
Challenges Program is a program of prize contests to stimulate
innovation and competition in space exploration and ongoing NASA
mission areas. The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge is a prize
contest designed to promote the development of new
[[Page 47258]]
technologies to excavate lunar regolith. The 2007 Lunar Regolith
Excavation Challenge is being administered for NASA by the California
Space Education & Workforce Institute (CSEWI). Their Web site is:
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/html/level-one/institute.html. The
Centennial Challenges Web site is centennialchallenges.nasa.gov.
DATES: The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge will be held May
12, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge will be held at
the Santa Maria Fair Park, Santa Maria, California. Questions and
comments regarding the NASA Centennial Challenges Program should be
addressed to Mr. Ken Davidian, Suite 2M14, Centennial Challenges
Program, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA, 20546-0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
regarding the NASA Centennial Challenges Program should be directed to
Mr. Ken Davidian, Suite 2M14, Centennial Challenges Program,
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA, 20546-0001, (202) 358-
0748, kdavidian@nasa.gov. To register for and get additional
information regarding the 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge,
visit: http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/regolith.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Summary
The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge promotes the
development of new technologies to excavate lunar regolith. Excavation
is a necessary first step towards lunar resource utilization, and the
unique physical properties of lunar regolith make excavation a
difficult technical challenge. Advances in lunar regolith extraction
have the potential to contribute significantly to the nation's space
exploration operations. Teams competing in the 2007 Lunar Regolith
Excavation Challenge will build autonomously operating systems to
excavate lunar regolith and deliver it to a collector. This Challenge
will be conducted in a ``head-to-head'' competition format. Teams will
be challenged to excavate and deliver as much regolith as possible in
30 minutes.
II. Challenge Basis and Prize Amount
The 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge total purse of
$250,000 will go the winning teams excavating the most regolith above
150 kilograms.
III. Eligibility
The Centennial Challenges Program has established the following
language in the Challenge Team Agreements governing eligibility.
Challenge is the 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge.
Team is defined as an individual, organization or corporation, or a
group of individuals, organizations or corporations that register to
participate in Challenge. Team is comprised of a Team Leader and Team
Members.
Team Leader is defined as a single individual, organization, or
corporation, which is the sole agent representing Team regarding its
participation in Challenge. Team Leaders that are individuals must be
U.S. citizens. Team Leaders that are organizations or corporations must
be incorporated in the U.S. and majority-owned and controlled by U.S.
citizens. Corporate or other organizational Team Leaders must appoint
an individual who is an officer of the Corporation or organization to
represent the Team Leader.
Team Members are defined as the participants on the Team that are
not the Team Leader. If a Team consists of a single individual, then in
this case the Team Member is also the Team Leader. Individuals and
corporate entities that are other than U.S. citizens or entities may be
Team Members, subject to written request to and approval by CSEWI.
All Team Members will apply to register for the Challenge through
Team Leader and must receive written concurrence by CSEWI.
All Team Members must execute an ``Adoption of Agreement''
committing to all terms of this Agreement. By signing below, Team
Leader represents that all Team Members have executed the Adoption of
Agreement and that no one else will become a member of the Team or
participate in the Challenge until such new Team Member has signed this
Agreement. CSEWI may disqualify any Team if it discovers that a person
is acting as a Team Member who has not signed this Agreement. Team
Leader will provide CSEWI with a copy of the ``Adoption of Agreement''
signed by each Team Member.
Any U.S. Government organization or organization principally or
substantially funded by the Federal Government, including Federally
Funded Research and Development Centers, Government-owned, contractor
operated (GOCO) facilities, and University Affiliated Research Centers,
are ineligible to be a Team Leader or Team Member.
U.S. Government employees may not participate in the Challenge as
Team Leader or Team Member.
Team Members may participate in Challenge on more than one Team.
IV. Rules
The rules for the 2007 Lunar Regolith Excavation Challenge can be
found at: http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/regolith.
Dated: August 8, 2006.
Scott J. Horowitz,
Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.
[FR Doc. E6-13499 Filed 8-15-06; 8:45 am]
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