Nasa is looking for a solution for moon missions with a university competition

Moon missions are few and far between – no one has set foot on Earth’s satellite for over 50 years. Because although Nasa has big plans for humanity on the moon as part of its Artemis program, there are obstacles – above all regolith, also known as moon dust.

NASA is now looking for solutions to this problem from students.

Unlike Earth, where wind and water wear sandy material smooth, the moon’s stony regolith is sharp-edged. Not only is the moon covered by a thick layer of regolith, it is also churned up during takeoff and landing and can thus become lodged in all man-made objects, such as NASA explained in a press release.

Already during the Apollo missions it became clear how quickly this lunar dust causes dangerous wear and tear on equipment and space suits. However, the Artemis missions aim to establish a permanent station on the moon, not least as a basis for the first manned Mars mission.

In order to eliminate this obstacle to a long-term presence on the moon, Nasa is now calling the so-called “Human Lander Challenge” into life. Students from US universities should find innovative solutions to minimize the impact of regolith on NASA equipment.

NASA is looking for anything that offers better visibility and protection from dust during takeoff and landing. New types of dust protection shields as well as flight instruments that can better cope with swirling dust clouds or options for navigating through these clouds are being sought.

Twelve teams will be selected from all submissions to submit their idea to the Human Lander Challenge Forum in Alabama in June 2024. All participants will receive a $7,000 grant to publish their approach in a research paper.

Three winners will also split a prize of $18,000: first place will receive $10,000, second place will receive $5,000 and third place will receive $3,000.

If you would like to take part, you can register without obligation until October 22nd. Participants then have until March 4, 2024 to submit their ideas.

The Artemis I lunar mission – an unmanned Orion space capsule in lunar orbit – has already been successfully completed. The second phase of the Artemis missions envisages a manned space capsule to the moon, and the third, finally, regular flights and landings on the moon. The knowledge collected there and a permanent moon base should pave the way for further Mars missions.