NASA Holds Innovation Competition for Redesigning Lunar Rover Wheels
The NASA and HeroX collaboration has announced the "Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge," a global competition inviting participants to design innovative, lightweight, flexible, and durable wheels and tires for lunar rovers and astronauts. The goal is to develop next-generation technologies capable of withstanding the harsh lunar environment and enabling sustainable surface operations on the Moon.
Key Details of the Challenge
- Objective: Create original wheel and tire concepts that combine low mass, compliance (shock absorption), and long service-life to improve lunar mobility over rugged terrain.
- Testbed: Designs will be tested using NASA’s small, semi-autonomous MicroChariot Rover, providing a real-world application for the concepts.
- Phases:
- Ideation & Design (Fall 2025)
- Prototyping (Winter to Spring 2026)
- Demonstration (Summer 2026)
- Prizes: Up to $150,000 in total awards will be given across all phases of the competition.
- Participants: Open to a broad range of innovators including students, hobbyists, startups, and established firms worldwide.
- Requirements: Participants must submit a design, explain the scientific principles behind it, and if selected, build and demonstrate a working prototype.
- Impact: Winning teams will contribute to advancing the lunar mobility ecosystem and may have their designs physically tested by NASA, influencing future lunar missions.
The Lunar Environment and the Need for Innovation
The Moon's surface is a harsh environment with steep slopes, deep craters, sharp rocks, and ultra-fine dust particles that can destroy conventional tires or metal wheels over time. This challenge asks participants to consider how a wheel can absorb impacts, navigate debris, endure extreme temperatures, and last through long-term missions without adding unnecessary weight.
The "Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge" is a significant opportunity to contribute to NASA’s Artemis program and the future of lunar exploration by innovating the fundamental technology of how rovers and astronauts traverse the Moon.
Preparing for the Future of Lunar Exploration
Interested parties are encouraged to pre-register, read background materials, and begin team formation. The challenge is centered around the MicroChariot, a small, semi-autonomous lunar rover developed by NASA. The goal is to imagine how a simple piece of hardware can transform the way we move across planetary bodies, and ultimately contribute to sustainable lunar surface operations.
The competition aims to define the infrastructure of a permanent lunar presence, including power stations, scientific outposts, communication towers, and habitats. The winners of the challenge could receive a share of up to $150,000 in total prize money. The competition will unfold in three phases: Ideation & Design, Prototyping, and Demonstration.
This challenge is a perfect opportunity for universities, startups, engineering clubs, or individual enthusiasts to get involved. Official rules, including technical specs, intellectual property guidelines, and judging criteria, will be released at the time of the full launch this fall.
- The "Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge" invites participants to combine their knowledge in mobility technology, science, and space-and-astronomy to design innovative, durable wheels and tires for lunar rovers and astronauts, enhancing lunar mobility and preparing for future sustainable lunar surface operations.
- The competition, which offers up to $150,000 in total awards, encourages a broad range of innovators, including students, hobbyists, startups, and established firms, to develop next-generation technology that can withstand the harsh lunar environment and contribute to NASA's Artemis program and the future of lunar exploration.
