July 31, 2009

Sonja Alexander Headquarters, Washington 202-358-1761 sonja r alexander@nasa gov

Katherine Barnstorff Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va , 757-864-9886 kathy barnstorff@nasa gov

MEDIA ADVISORY: 09-178

NASA AND CAFE ANNOUNCE GREEN AIRCRAFT CHALLENGE

WASHINGTON -- The NASA Innovative Partnerships Program and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation today announced the Green Flight Challenge The contest is a flight efficiency competition for aircraft that can average at least 100 mph on a 200-mile flight while achieving greater than 200 passenger miles per gallon

The prize for the aircraft with the best performance is $1 5 million The competition is scheduled for July 2011 at the Charles M Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, Calif A variety of innovative experimental aircraft using electrical, solar, bio-fuel or hybrid propulsion are expected to enter Several major universities and aircraft builders have expressed their intention to enter teams in the challenge

To win, teams must use cutting-edge technologies in mechanical and electrical engineering, structures, aerodynamics and thermodynamics As a national showcase of "green" technology, the challenge is expected to help advance all three of the major climate mitigation initiatives: efficiency, conservation and zero-carbon energy sources These technologies will support advances in aviation and may have broader applications in transportation and energy storage

The Green Flight Challenge is administered for NASA by CAFE Founded in 1981, CAFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of personal aircraft technologies through research, analysis and education

NASA is providing the prize money as part of the Centennial Challenges program The program seeks innovative solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation from diverse and unconventional sources Competitors may not receive government funding for their entries in this challenge

For information about CAFE and competing in this challenge, visit:

http://cafefoundation org/v2/main_home php

For more information about Centennial Challenges, visit:

http://www ipp nasa gov/cc

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www nasa gov

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