Anna Heiney tries out a pair of space gloves for their dexterity and flexibility part of NASA's Centennial Challenges Program.

At the Astronaut Hall of Fame near NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Anna Heiney, a Public Affairs support writer with Abacus Technology at Kennedy, tries out a pair of space gloves for their dexterity and flexibility in a glove box at the 2009 Astronaut Glove Challenge, part of NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program. Looking over his shoulder is Kennedy Director Bob Cabana.

The nationwide competition focused on developing improved pressure suit gloves for astronauts to use while working in space. During the challenge, the gloves were submitted to burst tests, joint force tests and tests to measure their dexterity and strength during operation in a glove box which simulates the vacuum of space. Centennial Challenges is NASA’s program of technology prizes for the citizen-inventor. The winning prize for the Glove Challenge is $250,000 provided by the Centennial Challenges Program. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett