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 April, 2006 to July, 2007.

1. Main Purposes:

a) To discover unique ideas in the field of commercial space activities;
b) 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 field;
c) To recognize talented individuals and help them develop innovative ideas for
   the benefit of humankind;
d) To provide young people with opportunities of meeting, communication and
   learning from each other;
e) To commemorate Mr. Heinlein, the late American fiction writer.

2. Time period of the contest:

    From April 2006 to July 2007

3. Participants:

The contest is open to university students, post-graduate students, young specialists and space science amateurs who were born after July 1, 1976 in the Asian countries. The contest accepts works from individual participants as well as from 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:

a) Contest works submitted must have specific themes, be practical technically and
   with reasonablecommercial plans, and will bring about significant economic
   benefits after realization;
b) New concepts and new ideas in space exploration and peaceful use of space
   resources are encouraged;br> c) Contest works should be in the forms of
  structure models, technical drawings, concept descriptions, three dimensional
  animations and etc;
d) Participants are responsible for the contents of their own works without referring
  to technical confidentiality which includes confidential information, restricted
  data and trade secrets;
e) Participants have to fill in the Application Form. If contest works submitted is
  team production, authors should be listed orderly according to their contribution
  to the works;
f) Contest works submitted must be in English and printed on A4 paper. Contest
  works of text version and CD version should be mailed together with the
   Application Form to Chinese Society of Astronautics and sent to
  csa_heinlein@yahoo.com.cn at the same time;
g) Participants should submit an abstract of their contest works within 300-500
  words;
h) Chinese participants should also submit contest works in Chinese version;

6. The copyrights of contest works belong to the authors. The authors are responsible
   for cost of the contest works.

7. Call for contest works:

Contest works will be called on websites, or collected by the member(s) of organizing committee composed of people from different countries in Asia.

8. Dead line for the submission of the contest works is no later than March 31,
   2007.

9. Evaluation criteria:

Works submitted will be evaluated for novelty and originality, in-depth research and technical feasibility, anticipated economic and social benefits, and commercial value and investment appealing. Fluent expression in English and presentation skill also are very important.

10. Evaluation of contest works:

The evaluation will be done by evaluation committee comprised of both technical experts in space or related fields as well as economic evaluation expert(s).
a) Preliminary evaluation is conducted through correspondence. Members of
   evaluation committee will score for each contest works and select 20 works as
  the final entries. Sponsors of the contest are responsible for one author's
   defense cost (including round-trip tickets and accommodation).
b) Final evaluation is conducted through audio-visual presentations and oral
   defense.

11. Prizes:

The following prizes will be set up:
Total 7 prizes (25 awards)
1st Prize: 1 4000USD
2nd Prize: 2 2000USD for each
3rd Prize: 3 1000USD for each
Excellent Prize: 5 500USD for each
Memorable prize: 8 200USD for each
Organizing prize: 5 500USD for each
The Heinlein Prize for Creative Innovation: 1 1000USD
The Heinlein Prize for Creative Innovation is specially to reward those 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 2007. Winners will be awarded with diplomas and cash prizes. Representatives from The Heinlein Prize Trust will be present at the ceremony and award winners on site.

13. Sponsors of the contest:

Chinese Society of Astronautics
The Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust

14. Correspondence address:

Chinese Society of Astronautics
No. 8, Fucheng Lu, Haidian District, Beijing
P.O. Box: Beijing 838, Post code: 100830
Phone: 0086 10 68768622、68193081 Fax: 68768624
Email: csa_heinlein@yahoo.com.cn

Persons to be contacted with: Zhong Ling、Wang Yadong、Zhang Yao
The Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust

For further information about the contest, please refer to websites of CSA and The Trust.

website: http://www.csaspace.org.cn
       http://www.heinleinprize.com

★Chinese Society of Astronautics reserves the final right of interpretation of the terms and conditions of the contest.