Nasa's New Green Challenge

Last week, NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation announced the a $1.5 million dollar prize for aircraft that can average at least 100 mph on a 200-mile flight while achieving greater than 200 passenger miles per gallon. Calling it the Green Flight Challenge, this program joins the 6-year old Nasa Centennial Challenges, which also include the $2 miliion Power Beaming Challenge, a Tether Challenge (see below), the Regolith Excavation Challenge, the $1.6 million Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander X Prize Challenge and Astronaut Glove Challenge sponsored by the Innovative Partnerships Program and seeks to spur the development of high-efficiency aircraft. This contest is not only innovative, it is the most sustainable NASA challenge yet.