DARPA Grand Challenge 2005

It is a really big deal that five robotic vehicles have finished the 132-mile course at the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005.

It also showcases an efficient method for the US Gov to make rapid advances in technology, by sponsoring technology competitions. The DARP Grand Challenge was one example, and though it wasn’t government sponsored, the Ansari X-Prize won by Scaled Composites with Spaceship One, is another great example. I think NASA should scale back their manned space flight operations, including the shuttle, the space station, and the new plans to revisit the moon in 2018 using wheezing 50-year-old technology, and use the money to sponsor new technology like the Space Elevator.

UPDATE: Here's an article from today's New York Times: In a Grueling Desert Race, a Winner but Not a Driver.