Notice2022-11869
Centennial Challenges Break the Ice Lunar Challenge Phase 2 Registration
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Published
June 3, 2022
Issuing agencies
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Abstract
Phase 2 of the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is open, and teams that wish to compete may now register. NASA seeks to stimulate research and technology solutions to support future missions and inspire new national aerospace capabilities through public prize competitions called Centennial Challenges. The Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is one such competition. Centennial Challenges are managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and are part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. Phase 2 of the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is a prize competition with a total prize purse of $3,000,000 USD, (three million United States dollars) to be awarded to competitor teams that build and successfully demonstrate prototypes of novel excavation and transportation technologies that can operate in Lunar environmental conditions.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 107 (Friday, June 3, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 107 (Friday, June 3, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33840-33842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11869]
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Notice: (22-041)]
Centennial Challenges Break the Ice Lunar Challenge Phase 2
Registration
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Phase 2 of the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is open, and
teams that wish to compete may now register. NASA seeks to stimulate
research and technology solutions to support future missions and
inspire new national aerospace capabilities through public prize
competitions called Centennial Challenges. The Break the Ice Lunar
Challenge is one such competition. Centennial Challenges are managed at
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and are part
of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within NASA's
Space Technology Mission Directorate at the agency's Headquarters in
Washington. Phase 2 of the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge is a prize
competition with a total prize purse of $3,000,000 USD, (three million
United States dollars) to be awarded to competitor teams that build and
successfully demonstrate prototypes of novel excavation and
transportation technologies that can operate in Lunar environmental
conditions.
DATES: Phase 2 registration opens June 2, 2022, and will remain open
until September 30, 2022, (11:59 p.m. Eastern). No further requests for
registration will be accepted after this date. Other important dates,
including deadlines for key deliverables from the
[[Page 33841]]
teams, are listed on the Challenge website: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/breaktheice">www.nasa.gov/breaktheice</a>.
ADDRESSES: Phase 2 of the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge will include
both virtual and in-person portions. Initial Levels of the Challenge
will be virtual with competitor teams working on their solutions at a
facility of their choosing and then submitting the deliverables listed
in the Official Challenge Rules to NASA. Final Level of the Challenge
will include an in-person competition at a facility chosen and prepared
by NASA. Further details about this facility will be posted on the
Challenge website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To register or for additional
information regarding the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, please visit:
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/breaktheice">www.nasa.gov/breaktheice</a>.
Questions and comments regarding the challenge should be addressed
to Denise Morris, 256-544-3989, Centennial Challenges Program Manager
(Acting), NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL 35812. Email
address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#187069356b6c757c357b7d766c7d76767179747b707974747d767f7d6b58757971743676796b79367f776e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91f9e0bce2e5fcf5bcf2f4ffe5f4fffff8f0fdf2f9f0fdfdf4fff6f4e2d1fcf0f8fdbffff0e2f0bff6fee7">[email protected]</span></a>. For general
information on NASA prize competitions, challenges, and crowdsourcing
opportunities, please visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/solve">www.nasa.gov/solve</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summary
The goal of Phase 2 is to further the development of technologies
that can excavate and transport large quantities of icy lunar regolith
and can address the technology gaps listed below. Through a prototype
demonstration, Teams must show that their solutions address the
reliability, durability, and traversability challenges these systems
must overcome to operate for long durations.
The specific NASA technology gaps that Phase 2 aims to address
include:
<bullet> Excavate large quantities of icy regolith
<bullet> Delivery of large quantities of acquired resources
<bullet> Hardware and equipment that is lightweight and energy
efficient
<bullet> Hardware and equipment that is reliable and durable
<bullet> Hardware and equipment that operates well in extreme lunar
environmental conditions, including:
[cir] Reduced gravity
[cir] Complex terrain including rocks, craters, slopes, and loose
granular soil
Successful demonstrations from this challenge will complement
ongoing NASA investments in lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization
Technologies. NASA is funding the prize purse and administration of the
challenge competition. Any eligible individual or organization may
participate in Phase 2. Teams are not required to have participated in
Phase 1.
I. Prize Amounts
The Break the Ice Lunar Challenge Phase 2 total prize purse is
$3,000,000 USD (three million United States dollars) to be awarded
across Phase 2 of this competition. There will be three levels in Phase
2. The winners will be determined by a Judging Panel. Teams must meet
the eligibility requirements for the NASA prize in order to receive a
prize from NASA.
<bullet> Level 1--All Teams that submit compliant deliverables by
the submission deadline will receive an equal share of $500,000 prize
purse up to a maximum of $75,000 per Team.
<bullet> Level 2--1st Place--$300,000, 2nd Place--$200,000, 3rd
Place--$125,000 and up to five (5) runners up with each runner up
receiving $75,000 for a total prize purse of $1,000,000.
<bullet> Level 3--1st Place--$1,000,000 and 2nd Place--$500,000 for
a total prize purse of $1,500,000. In addition to the cash prizes NASA
will award opportunities to test concepts in a dusty Thermal Vacuum
Chamber.
II. Eligibility To Participate and Win Prize Money
In order to participate in the Challenge, each individual, whether
acting alone or as part of a Competitor Team must identify their
nationality.
<bullet> No individual competitor shall be a citizen of a country
on the NASA Export Control Program list of Designated Countries List
Category II: Countries determined by the Department of State to support
terrorism. The current list of designated countries can be found at
<a href="http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp">http://oiir.hq.nasa.gov/nasaecp</a>. Please check the link for the latest
updates. This includes individuals with dual citizenship unless they
are a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card
holder).
<bullet> While China is not a Category II designated country,
pursuant to Public Law 116-6, Section 530, NASA is prohibited from
participating, collaborating, or coordinating bilaterally in any way
with China or any Chinese-owned entity. Team members who are citizens
of China but not affiliated with a Chinese entity may be permitted to
participate on a Team.
<bullet> Subject to the conditions set forth herein, foreign
nationals and foreign national Teams can participate in the Challenge.
However, they are not eligible for a cash prize, and must acknowledge
acceptance of this by signing and submitting a Foreign Participant
Acknowledgement Form.
<bullet> A competitor Team-designated lead shall be responsible for
both compliance with the rules (including prize eligibility rules) and
the actions of all members of the Team.
In order to be eligible to win a prize:
1. Individuals must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the
United States and be 18 years of age or older.
2. Organizations must be an entity incorporated in and maintaining
a primary place of business in the United States.
3. Teams must be comprised of otherwise eligible individuals or
organizations and led by an otherwise eligible individual or
organization.
4. Team leader must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
A Team may include foreign nationals and be eligible to win prize
money as long as the foreign national signs and delivers a disclosure
(separate form) wherein he/she discloses his/her citizenship and
acknowledge that he/she is not eligible to win a prize from NASA, AND
1. The foreign national is an employee of an otherwise eligible
U.S. entity participating in the Challenge,
2. The foreign national is an owner of such entity, so long as
foreign citizens own less than 50% of the interests in the entity,
3. The foreign national is a contractor under written contract to
such entity, OR
4. The foreign national is a full-time student, during the time of
the Challenge, of an otherwise eligible entity which is an accredited
institution of higher learning, AND the student is during the Challenge
in the United States on a valid student visa and is otherwise in
compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations
regarding the sale and export of technology.
Teams selected for an award will be required to provide proof of
citizenship/permanent residency, proof of primary place of business,
proof of incorporation, and/or proof of student visa. Proof must be
provided within 3 business days to be eligible for an award. Any Team
or team member who submitted the required proof documents in Phase 1
and was deemed eligible to compete will not be required to submit this
documentation again in Phase 2. Teams must indicate which documents
from Phase 1 should apply to Phase 2 entry and provide confirmation
that all documents are still valid. A Team's failure to comply with any
aspect of the eligibility requirements shall result in
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the Team being disqualified from winning a prize from NASA.
Interested teams should refer to the official Challenge website
(<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/breaktheice">www.nasa.gov/breaktheice</a>) for full details on eligibility requirements
and registration.
III. Official Rules
The complete official rules for the Break the Ice Lunar Challenge,
can be found at: <a href="https://breaktheicechallenge.com/">https://breaktheicechallenge.com/</a>.
Cheryl Parker,
NASA Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-11869 Filed 6-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-13-P
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