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NASA Dryden to Host 2009 Power Beaming Challenge  July 14 WASHINGTON — NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program and the Spaceward Foundation will hold the 2009 Power-Beaming Challenge, part of Spaceward’s Space Elevator Games, at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on July 14.

This is the fourth year for the Space Elevator Games. The first competition required teams to ascend a 50-meter tether at an average speed of 1 meter per second with power provided by ordinary spotlights. This year, to be eligible for the $2 million prize, competitors will be required to race their laser-powered vehicles up a 1-kilometer vertical steel cable at an average speed of 5 meters per second.

Foreign journalists wishing to cover the event must submit requests for credentials to Dryden’s public affairs office by June 5. U.S. journalists must respond by July 7.

Reporters must work for a legitimate, verifiable newsgathering organization. Requests for credentials should be sent on company letterhead by e-mail to [email protected] or faxed to  661-276-3566  . Requests must include a phone number and business e-mail address for follow-up contact. No substitutions of non-credentialed media representatives will be permitted.

U.S. citizens must furnish their full name, date of birth, place of birth, media organization, the last six digits of social security number and driver’s license number, including issuing state. In addition, foreign nationals must furnish: current citizenship, visa or passport number, country of issue and expiration date. Foreign nationals representing domestic or foreign media with permanent residency status must provide their alien registration number and expiration date. For further information, contact Dryden Public Affairs at  661-276-3449  .

The Spaceward Foundation of Mountain View, Calif., is a publicly-funded, non-profit organization dedicated to furthering space science and technology in education. The Spaceward Foundation intends to bring together leaders from the academic, commercial and educational worlds and create a series of challenges, exhibits, and educational activities that will re-invigorate the nation’s interest in space.

NASA’s Centennial Challenges promotes technical innovation through a novel program of prize competitions. It is designed to tap the nation’s ingenuity to make revolutionary advances in technology of value to NASA and the nation. NASA’s Innovative Partnership Program Office in Washington manages the prize program.

For more information about Centennial Challenges, please visit:

http://www.ip.nasa.gov/cc

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