Registration Opens for NASA Night Rover Energy Challenge

April 4, 2013

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz@nasa.gov

Janet Anderson
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-544-0034
janet.l.anderson@nasa.gov

Josh Neubert
Cleantech Open, Palo Alto, Calif.
617-970-6650
josh@nightrover.org


RELEASE: 13-087

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR NASA NIGHT ROVER ENERGY CHALLENGE

WASHINGTON -- Registration is open for teams seeking to compete in the
$1.5 million energy storage competition known as the Night Rover
Challenge, sponsored by NASA and the Cleantech Open of Palo Alto,
Calif.

To win, a team must demonstrate a stored energy system that can power
a simulated solar-powered exploration vehicle that can operate
through multiple cycles of daylight and extended periods of darkness.


"The goal of the Night Rover Challenge is to stimulate innovations in
energy storage technologies of value in extreme space environments,
such as the surface of the moon, or for electric vehicles and
renewable energy systems here on Earth," said Michael Gazarik, NASA's
associate administrator for Space Technology at NASA Headquarters in
Washington. "NASA wants this challenge to generate new ideas that
will allow planetary rovers the ability to take on a night shift, and
possibly create new energy storage technologies for applications of
benefit here on our home planet."

This is a Centennial Challenge in which NASA provides the prize purse
for technological achievements by independent teams while the
Cleantech Open manages the competition as NASA's allied organization.
The challenge is extended to individuals, groups and companies
working outside the traditional aerospace industry. Unlike most
contracts or grants, awards will be made only after solutions are
demonstrated successfully.

During the Night Rover Challenge energy storage systems will receive
electrical energy from a simulated solar collector during daylight
hours. During darkness, the stored energy will be used for simulated
thermal management, scientific experimentation, communications and
rover movement. A winning system must exceed the performance of an
existing state-of-the-art system by a pre-determined margin. The
winning system will be the one that has the highest energy storage
density.

"The partnership NASA has with the Cleantech Open allows us to
leverage taxpayer dollars in advancing technology development in this
critical area," said Larry Cooper, Centennial Challenges program
executive at NASA Headquarters. "Technology development is a priority
for NASA; we push technology development effectively by partnering
with industry and academia to advance our nation's space exploration
and science goals while maintaining America's technology edge."

Since the program's inception in 2005, NASA's Centennial Challenges
has awarded more than $6 million to 15 different competition-winning
teams through 23 events. Competitors have included private companies,
citizen inventors and academia working outside the traditional
aerospace industry. The competitions are managed by nonprofit
organizations that cover the cost of operations through commercial or
private sponsorships.

The Cleantech Open bills itself as the world's largest accelerator for
renewable, or clean, energy technology development. Its mission is to
find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address
today's most urgent energy, environmental, and economic challenges. A
not-for-profit organization, the Cleantech Open provides the
infrastructure, expertise and strategic relationships that turn
clever ideas into successful global clean-technology companies.

For information about the Night Rover Challenge and how to register a
team, visit:

http://www.nightrover.org

For more information about the Cleantech Open, visit:

http://www.cleantechopen.org

NASA's Centennial Challenges program is part of the agency's Space
Technology Mission Directorate, which is innovating, developing,
testing and flying hardware for use in NASA's future missions. For
more information about NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate
and its Centennial Challenges Program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech


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