From NEWSDAY.COM: 

NASA Offers $2M in Lunar Rocket Contest

LOS ANGELES — NASA said Friday it is sponsoring a $2 million contest to spur aerospace designers to build and demonstrate versatile rockets that may one day support a lunar mission.

The competition is part of the space agency’s Centennial Challenges program, which aims to foster innovation by offering prizes to teams that can solve a range of problems.

Competing teams have to build a rocket that can launch vertically, climb to a certain altitude and suspend in the air, land at a target 100 yards away and then return to its original launch pad.

The competition has two levels of difficulties and several prizes will be awarded. The largest prize is $1.2 million.

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