[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 73 (Tuesday, April 17, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19216-19217]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7214]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice: (07-031)]


Notice of Centennial Challenges Lunar Lander Challenge

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2451 (314) 
(d).
    The Lunar Lander 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 Lunar Lander 
Challenge is a prize contest designed to accelerate technology 
developments supporting the commercial creation of a vehicle capable of 
ferrying cargo or humans back and forth between lunar orbit and the 
lunar surface.
    The Lunar Lander Challenge is being administered for NASA by the X 
PRIZE Foundation. Their Web site is: http://www.xprize.org. The 
Centennial Challenges Web site is http://www.centennialchallenges.nasa.gov.

DATES: The Lunar Lander Challenge was first held at the X PRIZE Cup 
events starting in October 2006 and will be continued on an annual 
basis until all the purse money has been awarded, or until October 
2010, whichever comes first. The first Lunar Lander Challenge 
competition was held on October 20-21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The Lunar Lander Challenge will be held at the X PRIZE Cup 
at the Holloman Air Force Base, Alamogordo, NM 88330, on October 26-28, 
2007. Questions and comments

[[Page 19217]]

regarding the NASA Centennial Challenges Program should be addressed to 
Kenneth Davidian, Program Manager, Suite 2S24, Centennial Challenges 
Program, Innovative Partnerships Program Office, NASA, 20546-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information 
regarding the NASA Centennial Challenges Program should be directed to 
Kenneth Davidian, Program Manager, Suite 2S24, Centennial Challenges 
Program, Innovative Partnerships Program Office, NASA, 20546-0001, 
(202) 358-1160, [email protected].
    To register for and get additional information regarding the Lunar 
Lander Challenge, contact the X PRIZE Foundation, William Pomerantz, 
(301) 395-5283, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Summary

    The purpose of the Lunar Lander Challenge is to accelerate 
technology developments supporting the commercial creation of a vehicle 
capable of ferrying cargo or humans back and forth between lunar orbit 
and the lunar surface. Such a vehicle would have direct application to 
NASA's space exploration goals as well as the personal spaceflight 
industry. Additionally, the prize will help industry build new vehicles 
and develop the operational capacity to operate quick turnaround 
vertical take-off, vertical landing vehicles, which will be of 
significant use to many facets of the commercial launch procurement 
market.

II. Challenge Basis and Prize Amount

    To win the $2,000,000 purse, a rocket-propelled vehicle with an 
assigned payload must take-off vertically, climb to a defined altitude, 
fly for a pre-determined amount of time, then land vertically on a 
target that is a fixed distance from the take-off point. After 
remaining at this location for a period of time, the vehicle must take-
off, fly for the same amount of time, and land again on its original 
launch pad.

III. Eligibility

    The Centennial Challenges Program has established the following 
language, including definitions, governing eligibility. CHALLENGE is 
the Lunar Lander Challenge. TEAM is defined as an individual, 
organization or corporation, or a group of individuals, organizations 
or corporations that register to participate in the CHALLENGE. TEAM is 
comprised of a TEAM LEADER and TEAM MEMBERs. For the sake of clarity, 
PARTICIPANT is a TEAM.
    TEAM LEADER is defined as a single individual, organization, or 
corporation, which is the sole agent representing a TEAM regarding its 
participation in the CHALLENGE. TEAM LEADERs who 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 a 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 XPF, and 
provided that the TEAM and all TEAM MEMBERs comply with all applicable 
laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the 
International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration 
Act.
    PARTICIPANTs are defined as TEAM, TEAM LEADER, and/or TEAM MEMBERs. 
Each TEAM MEMBER will apply to register for the CHALLENGE through TEAM 
LEADER and must receive written notification of official acceptance by 
XPF to be considered eligible.
    PARTICIPANT's TEAM LEADER and each of its TEAM MEMBERs must execute 
an ``Adoption of Agreement'', in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, 
committing to all terms of this AGREEMENT and a ``Liability Waiver'', 
in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C. By signing below, TEAM LEADER 
of PARTICIPANT represents that all of PARTICIPANT's TEAM MEMBERs have 
executed the Adoption of Agreement; no one may become a TEAM MEMBER or 
otherwise participate in the CHALLENGE until such time as they have 
signed an Adoption of Agreement. XPF may disqualify any TEAM that has 
any person acting as a TEAM MEMBER, or otherwise participating in the 
CHALLENGE, who has not signed an Adoption of Agreement. PARTICIPANT's 
TEAM LEADER will provide XPF with a copy of the ``Adoption of 
Agreement'' signed by each of PARTICIPANT's TEAM MEMBERs.
    To be eligible to win a prize, in the case of a private entity, 
shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in 
the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether 
participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent 
resident of the United States.
    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 TEAM LEADERs or TEAM MEMBERs.
    U.S. government employees, and employees of Federally Funded 
Research and Development Centers, government-owned, contractor operated 
facilities, and University Affiliated Research Centers, may not 
participate in the CHALLENGE.

IV. Rules

    The rules for the Lunar Lander Challenge can be found at: http://www.xprize.org.

    Dated: April 9, 2007.
Douglas A. Comstock,
Director, Innovative Partnerships Program Office.
 [FR Doc. E7-7214 Filed 4-16-07; 8:45 am]
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