The 2024 BIG Idea Challenge provided undergraduate and graduate students up to $150,000 to design, develop, and demonstrate novel uses of low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) inflatable technologies, structures, and systems* for lunar operations. Teams were asked to go beyond lunar habitats, and instead explore innovative concepts incorporating inflatable components, such as: deployable towers, soft robotics, actuators and deployment mechanisms, large antennas and solar reflectors, emergency shelters for extended EVAs, low mass cranes and gantries for offloading and transporting equipment, pressurized tunnels and airlocks, deployable debris shields and dust protection systems, inflatable mandrels for construction, gas or liquid storage tanks and internal or external secondary structures.
The Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an initiative supporting NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate’s (STMD’s) Game Changing Development Program’s (GCD) efforts to rapidly mature innovative and high-impact capabilities and technologies for infusion in a broad array of future NASA missions.
Relevant Links:
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ARTEMIS AWARD WINNER
University of Utah with Powder Metallurgy Research Laboratory
Production of Steel from Lunar Regolith through Carbonyl Iron Refining (CIR)
Advisors: Dr. Hong Y. Sohn, Dr. Michael F. Simpson, Dr. Michael L. Free
BEST SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Arizona State University
Aegis-Inflatable Lunar Landing Pad System
Advisors: Dr. James Bell, James Rice, Tyler Smith
Brigham Young University
Untethered and Modular Inflatable Robots for Lunar Operations
Advisors: Dr. Nathan Usevitch, Dr. Marc Killpack, Cory Tholl
California Institute of Technology
with NASA's JPL, Cislune, and
Friends of Amateur Rocketry
PILLARS: Plume-deployed Inflatable for
Launch and Landing Regolith Abrasive Shielding
Advisors: Dr. Soon-Jo Chung, Kalind Carpenter, Dr. Joseph Shepherd, Dr. Charles Elachi, Dr. Greg Agnes (JPL)
ARTEMIS AWARD WINNER
Northwestern University
with National Aerospace Corporation and IMS Engineered Products
METALS: Metallic Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar Structures
Advisors: Dr. Ian McCue, Dr. Ryan Truby
University of Maryland
Auxiliary Inflatable Wheels for Lunar Rover
Advisor: Dr. David Akin
University of Michigan
Cargo-BEEEP (Cargo Balancing Expandable Exploration Platform)
Advisor: Dr. John Shaw
Doug Litteken, NASA JSC, 2024 BIG Idea Co-Chair
Kevin Kempton, NASA LaRC, 2024 BIG Idea Co-Chair
Dr. Athonu Chatterjee, JHU/APL
Dr. Milena Graziano, JHU/APL
Ryan Gundling, Ryzing Technologies
Tom Jones, NASA MSFC
Dr. Jin Ho Kang, NASA LaRC
Dr. Michael Nord, JHU/APL
Arianna Sanchez, Stellar Solutions (NASA HQ)
NASA Articles:
Student Teams to Help Fill the Inflatable Void with Latest Student Challenge
Student Innovators Invited to Develop BIG Ideas for Lunar Inflatables
News Articles:
NASA Challenges Students to Innovate with Inflatable Technologies for Lunar Missions
NASA BIG Idea Challenge 2023: Innovating Lunar Inflatable Systems for Artemis Missions
NASA Challenge: Student Teams Tackle Inflatable Void Issue
Innovative Student Teams Set to Enhance Future Lunar Missions with Inflatables
Caltech Students are Finalists in 2024 NASA's BIG Idea Challenge
NASA Seeks Ideas for Inflatable Systems for Moon Operations
ASU student team’s design selected as finalist for 2024 NASA-sponsored BIG Idea Challenge
Forum results will be posted here!
Relevant Links:
Artemis Award Recipient:
Northeastern University
Technical Paper: “COBRA: Crater Observing Bio-inspired Rolling Articulator”
Advisor: Dr. Alireza Ramezani
Presentation Slides