NASA launched a challenge, open to everyone, with almost 2.8 million euros in play. You can still compete!
NASA recently laid a new probe on the moon, called “Athena”. It transports various scientific instruments to drill the soil in search of water or other resources. She also has the small “Grace” robot on board, which will explore difficult to access areas. In addition, the Artemis III mission aims to send men back to the moon in 2027. NASA also wants to create permanent bases, which will serve as a transition to go to Mars.
To ensure the success of these missions, NASA launched a competition on a very particular aspect. It will offer $ 3 million, or around 2.8 million euros, to those who will take up its challenge. Everyone can participate, it is not reserved for astronauts or scientists. It is possible to compete until March 31, 2025 by entering the necessary information on this page. This challenge is called “Lunarecycle Challenge”.
The objective is to establish new waste sorting solutions during lunar missions. “While we are preparing for future inhabited space missions, we will have to think about how the various waste flows, including solid waste, can be minimized, as well as the waste can be stored, treated and recycled in a spatial environment so that little or no waste need to be returned to Earth”, specifies the Nasa. This waste is in particular “food packaging, thrown clothes and scientific experimental materials”. Currently, astronauts from the international space station store certain waste to bring it back to earth and recycle it, but for projects on the natural satellite of the earth, this will no longer be enough.
The competition will be divided into two phases. The first will be focused on building prototypes, “the design and development of material components and systems for recycling”. NASA will then designate a large winner two months later and will launch the second phase around digitization, “the design of a virtual replica of a complete recycling system of solid waste flows on the lunar surface and manufacturing of finished products”. It is possible to compete in one of the two components or for both.
“With this challenge, we seek to make the public known innovative approaches in terms of waste management on the Moon and we want the lessons learned to be applied to Earth for the benefit of all,” adds Amy Kaminski, responsible for the price, challenges and crowdfunding program, in a press release.