NASA offers students share of $1 million to help design its Moon base
Students now have the opportunity to take home a share of $1 million in a new initiative unveiled by NASA.
Known as the Moon Base Challenge, high school and post-secondary students are being invited to ‘explore solutions to the challenges NASA will face when creating a long-term facility for astronauts to live and work on the Moon’.
This comes as the space agency hopes to push forward with its ambitions to build a permanent base on the lunar surface where astronauts can live.
What is the NASA Moon Base Challenge?
The challenge put forward by NASA will help scientists and engineers to conduct research on the Moon as well as test out new technologies in extreme environments in order to prepare for deeper space exploration.
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NASA explains: “Creating this base will require thousands of innovative ideas from the next generation of problem-solvers, and this challenge taps the talent of the next generation of space innovators.”
The agency announced its student challenge on Sunday (November 8) during an event at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where it was revealed that student teams at US high schools and post-secondary schools would be encouraged to contribute their own designs.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: “We’re looking for students ready to think creatively, work as a team, and take on real problems connected to NASA’s future on the Moon.
“You do not have to wait until graduation to contribute. Curiosity, creativity, and the willingness to tackle hard problems without obvious answers are exactly the qualities we need as we build what comes next.”
Who is eligible to take part in the NASA challenge?
If you’re keen to put your hat in the ring and take part for the chance of a share of $1 million, then you’ll first need to make sure you meet the criteria before entering.
High school and post-secondary school division organizations must be US based, and all team members must be enrolled in an eligible US institution.
Teams must consist of 2-5 student members, not including an adult coach, which all teams must have. The coach must be over the age of 18, and they must be a teacher, faculty member, school administrator, CTE instructor, or home school instructor who is officially affiliated with the team’s designated lead affiliated organization.
Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, added: “As we build and design the foundations of Moon Base, we want to leverage all the ingenuity and innovation to think of every consideration our explorers might need to live and work there.
“Students bring exactly the bold ideas that we’re looking for, and I’m looking forward to their fresh perspective. Ultimately, Moon Base is for them, people who will experience a world where humans are on the Moon to stay.”
