2024 Forum Results


2024 Challenge Summary



Engaging Universities in NASA’s Mission to Develop Space Exploration Technologies for the Moon to Mars

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.


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University of Utah wins the Artemis Award!



University of Utah during the poster session.

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

2023 BIG Idea Poster University of Utah


Proposal Video

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides


BEST SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Arizona State University

Aegis-Inflatable Lunar Landing Pad System

Advisors: Dr. James Bell, James Rice, Tyler Smith

2024 BIG Idea Poster Arizona State University

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides

Brigham Young University

Untethered and Modular Inflatable Robots for Lunar Operations
Advisors: Dr. Nathan Usevitch, Dr. Marc Killpack, Cory Tholl

2024 BIG Idea Poster BYU

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides


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)

2024 BIG Idea Poster CalTech

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides

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

2024 BIG Idea Poster Northwestern

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides


University of Maryland

Auxiliary Inflatable Wheels for Lunar Rover

Advisor: Dr. David Akin

2024 BIG Idea Poster UMaryland

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides

University of Michigan

Cargo-BEEEP (Cargo Balancing Expandable Exploration Platform)

Advisor: Dr. John Shaw

2024 BIG Idea Poster University of Michigan

Technical Paper

Presentation Slides


2024 Challenge Judges


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)

Click to learn more about the 2024 Judging Panel