NASA also has held challenges to develop better astronaut gloves and ways to safely store food longer in space. NASA has a history of broad and successful experiences with prize challenges. Manager, Safe Autonomous Systems Operations NASA, Ames Research Center

The Sample Return Robot Challenge is to build an autonomous rough-terrain robot which can find and retrieve geologic samples.

Each challenge is managed by non-profit organizations in partnership with NASA.

The challenge is funded by NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative within the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). The agency is a leader in government-sponsored competitions that solve problems to benefit the space program and nation. The prize is US$1.5 million. The intent is to advance autonomic robotics and remote manipulator technology.

The Centennial Challenge program was created in 2005 by the space agency to engage citizens, students and small businesses in the development of new technological solutions for NASA and the nation.
Peter Homer of Southwest Harbor, Maine, won the first place prize of $250,000 and Ted Southern of Brooklyn, NY won the second place prize of $100,000 in NASA's Astronaut Glove Challenge.

1 of 45 Air Transportation System: Challenges and Opportunities Parimal Kopardekar, Ph.D.

Collaboration actively engages Americans in the work of their Government. Peter Homer of Southwest Harbor, Maine, won the first place prize of $250,000 and Ted Southern of Brooklyn, NY won the second place prize of $100,000 in NASA's Astronaut Glove Challenge.

“By opening up the search for asteroids, we are harnessing the potential of innovators and makers and citizen scientists everywhere to help solve this global challenge.” NASA also has held challenges to develop better astronaut gloves and ways to safely store food longer in space. NASA’s App Development Challenge (ADC) provides an opportunity for middle and/or high school students to demonstrate the practice of coding and app development. This challenge may not require such a large cash prize as many other potential Centennial Challenges, since there are many amateur astronomers already willing to do their hobby for free. An Innovative Opportunity for Small Businesses: NASA Prizes and Challenges Amy Kaminski, NASA Headquarters Dawn Turner, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center The competition sought ideas for an in-suit waste management system for astronauts. He also won the United States Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM’s) “Protecting the planet from the threat of asteroid impact means first knowing where they are,” said Jenn Gustetic, NASA’s Prizes and Challenges Program executive. The NASA & TI Codes Contest challenges middle and high school students to improve a process or product on the International Space Station. It also doesn't require anything as expensive as an in-space demonstration (although fairly expensive equipment and lots of labor are undoubtably useful for winning the prize). Shelley ended up winning third place for his zero gravity underwear concept. The initiative champions technologies needed to live on and explore the Moon. NASA has selected Development Projects Inc. of Dayton, Ohio, to manage a new Centennial Challenge prize competition involving unmanned aircraft systems in 2014. In this ADC, students work in teams to develop an app that visualizes three minutes of simulated test data in support of the upcoming Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) launch scheduled to take place in June 2019.

Executive departments and agencies should use innovative tools, methods, and systems to cooperate among themselves, across all levels of Government, and with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals in the private sector." The Allied Organization selected to partner with NASA to conduct this challenge is Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Centennial Challenges progra m builds on the positive forces of prize competitions in an attempt to pursue NASA’s mission and goals in an exciting, innovative, and cost-effective way. “Prize competitions have become a key component in NASA’s toolkit for developing technology and solving problems,” says Gladys Henderson, executive of the Agency’s Prizes and Challenges Program.