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.
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
