In order to inspire young professionals and university students' imagination and spirit of innovation and to achieve greater economic benefits from future space commercial activities for mankind, Chinese Society of Astronautics and the American Heinlein Prize Trust cosponsor "Flying into the Future---- Space Exploration Innovation Contest in Asia" from September 2011 to July 2012. Your participation will be much appreciated.
1. Main Purposes
- To commemorate Mr. Robert Heinlein, the late American science fiction writer
- To discover unique ideas in the field of commercial space activities
- To encourage enthusiasm and spirit in students and young specialists to pursue studies in science and aerospace, and to spur young minds to dare to explore and make innovations in space science.
- To recognize talented individuals, encourage their creative abilities and help them develop innovative ideas for the benefits of humankind.
- To provide young people with opportunities of meeting, exchanging with and learning from each other.
2. Time period of the contest
From September 2011 to July 2012
3. Participants
The contest is open to university students, post-graduate students, young specialists and space science amateurs who were born after July 1, 1981 in Asia. The contest accepts works from individual participants as well as teams which should be comprised of no more than 5 members.
4. Content of the contest works
Contest works should display potential in space exploration and peaceful use of space resources and can bring about significant economic benefits after being realized.
5. Requirements of contest works:
- Contest works must have specific themes, be practical technically and innovative with reasonable commercial plans and will bring about significant economic benefits after materialization.
- Prospective and novel concepts, thoughts and ideas in space exploration and peaceful use of space resources are encouraged.
- Contest works should be submitted in the forms of invention design, research report and innovative proposal, including objects, structure models, design drawings, schematic diagram, three dimensional animation, research paper and etc.
- Authors are responsible for the content of their own works which should not involve technical confidentiality that includes confidential information and model,restricted data and trade secrets.
- Contest working language is English, and contest works submitted must be in English as well. The authors 'right of contest works belong to the authors. The sponsors have the right to edit, publish and advertise these works for non-profit purpose. All authors who submit works to the contest are viewed as that they agree to and are willing to abide by the regulations of authors' right.
6. The copyrights of contest works belong to the authors.
7. Call for contest works:
- Contest works will be called for on websites;
- And collected by the member(s) of organizing committee composed of experts from different countries or regions in Asia.
8. Deadline of the submission: March 31, 2012. (These must be post marked on or before March 31, 2012)
9. Evaluation criteria:
Works submitted will be evaluated by the following criteria:
- Novelty and originality;
- In-depth research and technical feasibility;
- Potential economic and social benefits;
- Commercial value and investment appealing.
Fluent English speaking, presentation skill and team cooperation are also Very important factors.
10. Evaluation of contest works:
The evaluation committee is comprised of ten technical experts in space or related field, including economic evaluation experts.
- The first evaluation is conducted through correspondence. All evaluators mark contest works according to evaluation criteria. 20 works will be selected as the final entries after adding up all evaluators' marks.
- Final evaluation is conducted through audio-visual presentations.
For the final entry works, the Heinlein Prize Trust will cover the expense to Beijing for presentation (round trip costs and accommodation) for one author of each work.
11. Prizes:
The following prizes will be provided by the Trust:
- 1st Prize: 1, 4000USD
- 2nd Prize: 2, 2000USD for each
- 3rd Prize: 3, 1000USD for each
- Excellent Prize: 6, 500USD for each
- Memorable Prize: 8, 200USD for each
- The Heinlein Creative Innovation Prize: 1, 1000USD
- Organization prize: 8, 500USD for each
The Heinlein Prize for Creative Innovation is to reward the works with original, boundless thoughts which might not be realized with current technologies but have theoretical basis and huge prospective economic benefits. This prize is in honor of Mr.Heinlein and his creative enthusiasm and spirit.
12. Time of awarding:
Awarding ceremony will be held in July 2012. Winners will be awarded with diplomas and cash prizes. Representatives from The Trust will be present at the ceremony and award winners on site.
13. Chinese Society of Astronautics reserves the final right of interpretation of the terms and conditions of the contest.
14. Correspondence address:
- Chinese Society of Astronautics
- No. 8, Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing
- P.O. Box 838, Beijing, China Post code: 100830
- Phone: 0086 10 68193081
- Fax: 0086 10 68768624
- Email:csa_heinlein@yahoo.com.cn
- Contact Person: Ms.Li Luping
For further information about the contest, please refer to websites of CSA and The Trust.
