Time to Register for the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award

Online registration is now open for the Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award -- a new education competition designed to interest students in space, science and technology. The award will be presented at this year's Wirefly X Prize Cup to the high school team that develops the most creative, new space concept to benefit the emerging personal spaceflight industry.

Teams of three students will be required to submit graphical representations, technical documents and business plans of concepts that can accelerate the personal spaceflight industry. Examples of concepts could include new space suit designs and accessories, advanced food items, zero-gravity games, or vehicle cabin design for a better passenger experience. The first place team will receive a $5,000 grant, followed by $2,500 for second place and $1,500 for third.

Student team members must be between the ages of 13 and 18 by Sept 15th, 2007.

Teams must be registered no later than Sept 7th, 2007.

Important Dates:
September 7th - Final Registration Deadline
September 15th - Deadline for entry submissions
October 2nd - Notification of finalists
October 26th-28th - Finalist public voting & Award ceremony

For more detailed information and to register, please visit http://space.xprize.org/x-prize-cup/conrad_award/.

ABOUT CHARLES "PETE" CONRAD

Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. was the third man to walk on the moon and served on Gemini 5 and 11, Apollo 12, and Skylab 2 missions. Conrad was the recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, awarded for his rescue of Skylab. He was posthumously awarded the Ambassador of Exploration Award by NASA in 2006.

ABOUT THE WIREFLY X PRIZE CUP AND HOLLOMAN AIR AND SPACE SHOW

The Wirefly X PRIZE Cup is an annual two-day air and space exposition. This year the Cup will be held in conjunction with Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, NM to create the first ever Air & Space Expo with "live" fire / fly demonstrations and competitions. This event is free and open to the public and will be held on October 27th and 28th from 10am to 5pm. Launch and air show demonstrations will feature Rocket Racing League's X-Racer, Air Force single-ship demos including F-22, F-16 and F-117, as well as the return of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge -- a two-level, $2 million competition requiring a vehicle to simulate trips between the moon's surface and lunar orbit. Nine teams are registered for this year's competition, with NASA funding the prizes through its Centennial Challenges program. Additionally, visitors can tour a massive ground display featuring space and rocket exhibits and Air Force aircraft. For more information, please visit www.xprizecup.com or call (310) 576-3473.