-. LunaRecycle Challenge

Registration for Phase 1 is now closed – stay tuned for news about Phase 2!

If you have a specific question that is not covered in the challenge rules or FAQs, please email your question to: lunarecycle@ua.edu.

-. The Challenge

NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge is a $3 million, two track, two-phase competition focused on the design and development of solutions that can reduce non-biological waste on longer-term missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Teams may compete in either or both competition tracks.

As NASA prepares for future human space missions, prioritizing sustainability while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness will be critical. The LunaRecycle Challenge asks innovators to consider how various waste streams, like food and foam packaging, fabrics, and structural elements, can be processed in a space environment so that little or no waste will need to be returned to Earth.

The challenge also hopes to inspire better approaches and outcomes for terrestrial recycling—through entirely novel approaches, processes that improve efficiency and reduce toxic outputs, and smaller-scale technologies that could be deployed in communities around the globe.

-. Available Tracks

Digital Twin Track

The concept of a digital twin was born at NASA and represents a critical tool for designing and building physical systems and components that must operate in extreme environments like those found on the Moon or Mars. Digital twin technologies can enable numerous virtual design iterations and configurations and reduce the need for makeshift physical prototypes, saving substantial time and costs.

The Digital Twin Track of this challenge is focused on designing a digital twin of a complete system for recycling one or more solid waste streams on the lunar surface and manufacturing one or more end products.

Digital Twin Track
Phase 1 Submission Instructions and Template (Word Doc)

Prototype Build Track

NASA has identified a number of sustainability research areas requiring further investment—including trash management for habitation and in-space and on-surface manufacturing from recycled materials.

The Prototype Build track of this challenge is focused on complementing other NASA research activities by focusing on designing and developing hardware components and systems for recycling one or more solid waste categories on the lunar surface. Teams in this track may—but are not required to—include the manufacturing of one or more end products in their design.

Prototype Build Track
Phase 1 Submission Instructions and Template (Word Doc)

-. Resources

Looking for additional resources to learn more about the challenge and compete? Here are the latest supplementary materials, FAQs, and webinar materials.
Need more? See our full Resources page.

-. Apply

Registration for Phase 1 is now closed – stay tuned for news about Phase 2!

Please see the Registration and Submission FAQs for more challenge details.

If you have a specific question that is not covered in the challenge rules or FAQs, please email your question to: lunarecycle@ua.edu.


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