[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47255-47256]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13496]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 06-052]


Centennial Challenges 2006 Tether Challenge

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of Centennial Challenges 2006 Tether Challenge.

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SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2451 
(314)(d). The 2006 Tether 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 
2006 Tether Challenge is a prize contest designed to develop very 
strong tether material for use in various structural applications. The 
2006 Tether Challenge is being administered for NASA by the Spaceward 
Foundation. Their Web site is: http://www.spaceward.org. The Centennial 
Challenges Web site is centennialchallenges.nasa.gov.

DATES: The 2006 Tether Challenge will be held October 20-21, 2006 as 
part of the X Prize Cup event in Las Cruces, NM.

ADDRESSES: The 2006 Tether Challenge will be held at the X Prize Cup at 
the Las Cruces International Airport, 8990 Zia Blvd., Las Cruces, NM 
88007. 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: Mr. Ken Davidian, Suite 2M14, 
Centennial Challenges Program, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, 
NASA, 20546-0001, (202) 358-0748, [email protected].
    To register for and get additional information regarding the 2006 
Tether Challenge, visit: http://www.elevator2010.org/site/competitionTether2006.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summary

    The purpose of the 2006 Tether Challenge is to develop very strong 
tether material for use in various structural applications. The 
competition requires a 50% improvement in breaking force from year to 
year, starting with a commercially available tether in 2005. Additional 
requirements (such as operating temperature range, vacuum 
compatibility, and controlled electrical conductivity) will be added in 
future years.

I. Challenge Basis and Prize Amount

    The complete 2006 Tether Challenge purse is $250,000. The 2006 
Tether Challenge will be conducted in two rounds. The first round will 
pit tethers from two teams directly against each other to determine the 
team with the strongest tether. The second round will determine if the 
first-round winner is at least 50% stronger than a house tether that 
represents off-the-shelf materials. If it is, that team will win the 
competition.

II. Eligibility

    The Centennial Challenges Program has established the following 
language in the Challenge Team Agreements governing eligibility. For 
this section, Challenge is the 2006 Tether 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 Spaceward. 
All Team Members will apply to register for the Challenge through Team 
Leader and must receive written concurrence by Spaceward.
    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. Spaceward 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 Spaceward 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.

[[Page 47256]]

    Team Members may participate in Challenge on more than one Team.

Rules

    The rules for the 2006 Tether Challenge can be found at: http://www.elevator2010.org/site/competitionTether2006.html.

    Dated: August 8, 2006.
Scott J. Horowitz,
Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.
[FR Doc. E6-13496 Filed 8-15-06; 8:45 am]
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