Editing Centennial Challenges (section)

==Current challenges==

=== Sample return robot challenge ===
[[File:WVU SRR14.jpg|thumb|The West Virginia University Mountaineers pose with their robot, Cataglyphis, and officials at the 2014 NASA Centennial Challenges Sample Return Robot Challenge at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass., after completing Level 1 for a prize of $5,000. A year later, the team won the $100,000 Level-2 Prize. In 2016, Team Mountaineers won the final challenge with a $750,000 prize (NASA/Joel Kowsky)]]
The Sample Return Robot Challenge<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/early_stage_innovation/centennial_challenges/sample_return_robot/index.html| title = NASA - Sample Return Robot Challenge}}</ref> is to build an autonomous rough-terrain robot which can find and retrieve geologic samples. The intent is to advance autonomic robotics and remote manipulator technology. The prize is US$1.5 million.<ref name=nasa20100713/> The Allied Organization selected to partner with NASA to conduct this challenge is [[Worcester Polytechnic Institute]] in Worcester, Massachusetts. Team registration began Summer 2011, and the first competition was held June 16, 2012.

Eleven teams registered for the event, with six showing up to the competition. All but one team were unable to compete after failing the weigh-in and/or inspection. Team SpacePride<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.spacepride.com/|title= Team SpacePRIDE}}</ref> competed in level one, but did not succeed.

The second running of the challenge took place June 6–8, 2013, at WPI. Ten teams competed for a Level 1 prize. Team Survey of Los Angeles was awarded $5,000 for successfully completing Level 1: their robot left the platform, retrieved a sample and returned to the platform within the 15-minute limit. No teams advanced to Level 2.

The third running of the challenge took place June 9–14, 2014, at WPI. 17 teams competed for Level 1 and Level 2 prizes.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nasa.gov/centennial_challenges/sample_return_robot/srr-2014-wrapup.html|title=Complexity of Sample Return Robot Competition Challenges 17 Teams|last=Anderson|first=Janet|date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> Team Mountaineers from West Virginia University (WVU), led by Dr. Yu Gu, successfully completed Level 1 challenge. No teams completed Level 2 challenge in 2014.

The fourth competition took place June 8–12, 2015, at WPI. 16 teams competed for Level 1 and Level 2 prizes. Team Mountaineers<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www2.statler.wvu.edu/~irl/page34.html|title= Team Mountaineers|access-date= 2015-06-24|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160702000921/http://www2.statler.wvu.edu/~irl/page34.html|archive-date= 2016-07-02|url-status= dead}}</ref> from West Virginia University successfully completed Level 2 challenge (with two collected samples or 3 points) and brought home a $100,000 prize.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-100000-to-winning-team-of-robot-challenge | title= NASA announcement| date= 13 June 2015}}</ref> No other team completed Level 1 or Level 2 challenge in 2015.

The fifth year challenge was divided into two events. The Level 1 challenge happened between June 6–11, 2016. Five new teams completed Level 1. The final Level 2 challenge was performed on Sep. 4 & 5. Team Mountaineers from West Virginia University collected 5 samples with a total score of 11 points, and won the challenge with a $750,000 prize.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/feature/2016_sample_return_robot_challenge_award.html|title=NASA Awards $750K in Sample Return Robot Challenge|last=Hall|first=Loura|date=2016-09-08|access-date=2016-09-08}}</ref>

Efforts were coordinated by NASA and the WPI Robotics Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wp.wpi.edu/challenge |title=Welcome to the Sample Return Robot Challenge! |access-date=2011-04-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316071820/http://wp.wpi.edu/challenge/ |archive-date=2011-03-16 }}</ref>

===Mars Ascent Vehicle Prize===

The MAV Prize<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.nasa.gov/mavprize| title = NASA's Centennial Challenges: Mars Ascent Vehicle Prize {{!}} NASA| date = 10 July 2015}}</ref> is a challenge to demonstrate technologies that may be relevant to future NASA Science Mission Directorate Mars missions. The competition will mimic a MAV mission. When NASA eventually returns samples from Mars, there will be a requirement for a special rocket system — the MAV — to launch the samples from Mars’ surface into orbit for rendezvous with a spacecraft that will return them to Earth.
The MAV Challenge requires highly reliable and autonomous sample insertion into the rocket, launch from the surface, and deployment of the sample container. Innovative technology from this competition may be considered in future planning for a Mars exploration mission.
The first-place award is $25,000; second-place is $15,000; and third-place is $10,000.  Competing teams will be eligible for prize money only after the successful completion of all the required tasks.

The inaugural competition was held in April 2015. North Carolina State University of Raleigh won $25,000 for first place; Tarleton State University of Stephenville, Texas, won second, winning $15,000. There was no third-place winner.

===Cube Quest Challenge===

The Cube Quest Challenge offers a prize purse of $5 million to teams that meet the challenge objectives of designing, building and delivering flight-qualified, small satellites capable of advanced operations near and beyond the moon. Cube Quest teams will have the opportunity to compete for a secondary payload spot on the first mission of NASA's Orion spacecraft, which will launch atop the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
The competition includes three stages: Ground Tournaments, Deep Space Derby, and Lunar Derby. The Ground Tournaments will be held every four to six months, leading to an opportunity to earn a spot on the first integrated flight of Orion and SLS. The Deep Space Derby will focus on finding innovative solutions to deep space communications using small spacecraft, and the Lunar Derby will focus primarily on propulsion for small spacecraft and near-Earth communications.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.nasa.gov/cubequest| title = NASA's Centennial Challenges: Cube Quest Challenge {{!}} NASA| date = 10 July 2015}}</ref>