Some intriguing names are on the short list for the 2013 Robert J. Collier Trophy after the National Aeronautic Association this week announced a field of nine contenders for the coveted prize.
The nominees include Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower geared turbofan engine, the P-8A Poseidon airplane in development by Boeing for the U.S. Navy, the X-51A scramjet demonstrator, the X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstrator, the Atlas/Gamera human-powered helicopter project, NASA’s Deep Space Network, the NASA lunar laser communications demonstration project, the Voyager project team and the Orbital Sciences commercial orbital transportation services program.
The Collier Trophy has been awarded for the last 102 years for “the greatest annual achievement” in aeronautics or astronautics. Past recipients have included the round-the-world Rutan Voyager, Burt Rutan’s SpaceShipOne, and the International Space Station, as well as individuals including Glenn Curtiss, Orville Wright, Howard Hughes and Chuck Yeager.
Last year’s prize went to the NASA/JPL team that sent the Curiosity rover to Mars. The 2013 winner will be announced on March 18, with the formal presentation of the trophy scheduled for May 8 in Arlington, Virginia.
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