NASA's Deputy Administrator Shana Dale announced during a speech at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference that the first NASA Centennial Challenge will be managed by the X Prize Foundation through a Space Act Agreement. The X Prize Foundation will administer and execute the competitions at no cost to NASA, with NASA providing prize funding to the winning contestants.

The $2.5M Lunar Lander Challenge requires a vehicle to simulate a trip from the Moon?s surface, to lunar orbit and back to the lunar surface.

The Lunar Lander Challenge will take place at the X PRIZE Cup in Las Cruces, New Mexico on October 18-21, 2006.