As NASA considers long-term lunar missions, a few issues arise, including how to create less waste in space and what to do with the waste generated by future crews. This is why the American space agency launched the LunaRecycle Challenge.
This two-phase competition aims to find innovative solutions to reduce solid waste during lunar expeditions and thus improve the sustainability of missions. The American space agency hopes to meet a major challenge of long-term missions: limiting the environmental impact of human activities in space.
A competition in two phases
NASA is looking for innovative solutions. For the first phase, the agency presented a mission scenario lasting 365 days, accompanied by technical specifications that the teams must integrate into their projects. Applications for this initial phase must be submitted by March 31, 2025, and the winner will be announced in May.
The second phase will require teams to build a working prototype based on the winning project from the first phase. Notably, teams that did not participate in phase 1 will still be eligible to compete. NASA will provide more details on this second stage after the conclusion of the first part.
All teams interested in the LunaRecycle Challenge must first register via a form. Once the documents are submitted, the competition administrators will review the applications and notify the designated team leader.
Up to $3 million
NASA has planned a significant distribution. For phase 1, the best physical prototype will receive 600,000 daollrs, while the best digital twin will be awarded $400,000. In Phase 2, prizes will be $1.4 million for the best working prototype and $600,000 for the best digital twin.
In addition to tackling the problem of waste management in space, NASA hopes that this challenge will also bring new approaches and better solutions to recycling on Earth, whether through novel processes that improve efficiency and reduce emissions or through accessible, small-scale technologies that communities can use around the world.
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