According to the NASA plan, the spacecraft, proposed by NASA's Ames Research Center as the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, will direct the upper stage used to leave Earth orbit to crash into a permanently-shadowed crater at the lunar south pole, creating a plume visible to Earth-based observatories. (Photo: NASA)

    LOS ANGELES, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Officials at U.S. space agency NASA on Friday announced a 2.5-million-dollar competition for private spaceflight companies to design a new vehicle that will land on moon in next decade.

    According to Shana Dale, NASA's Deputy Administrator, the first multi-million-dollar NASA Centennial Challenge will be managed by the X PRIZE Foundation, which has launched the Ansari X PRIZE to encourage private companies' sapceflight attempt.

    In 2004, privately-built "spaceship1" won the Ansari X PRIZE after flying out of the aerosphere. Since then some experts believe offering a prize is an effective and economical model for acceleration breakthroughs in science and technology.

    The competition will require a vehicle to simulate a trip between the Moon's surface, to lunar orbit and back to the lunar surface.

    It is divided into two levels. Level 1 requires a vehicle to take off from a designated launch area, rocket up to 150 feet (50 meters) altitude, then hover for 90 seconds while landing precisely on a landing pad 100 meters away.

    The more difficult course, level 2, requires a vehicle to take off from a designated launch area, rocket up to 150 feet (50 meters) altitude, then hover for 180 seconds before landing precisely on a simulated, rocky, lunar surface 100 meters away.

    For both levels, the vehicle has the option to refuel before conducting the required return level to the original starting point, the X PRIZE Foundation said.

    The 2.5-million bounty is the total prize purse for the competition. Level 1 will offer 350,000 dollars for first place and 150,000 for second. Level 2 will offer 1.25 million to the winner, 500,000 for second place and 250,000 for third place.

    NASA's Centennial Challenge promotes technical innovation through prize competitions. It is designed to tap people's ingenuity to make revolutionary advances to support NASA's space projects. Enditem