NASA Awards First Prize in Phase 2 of Agency’s LunaRecycle Challenge
NASA named a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the first prize winner for Phase 2 of the agency’s LunaRecycle Challenge, which focused on developing solutions for reducing waste during missions to the Moon or deep space by recycling common materials, like fabrics, plastics, foam, and metals. The Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling By Engineering the Reuse and…
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) team emerged victorious in NASA's LunaRecycle Challenge Phase 2, receiving $775,000 in awards. Their innovative project, "Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling By Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of Zotek" (CERBERUZ), focuses on recycling common materials like fabrics, plastics, foam, and metals for use during Moon or deep space missions.
The technology developed by the MIT team grinds mixed waste into a fine powder, transforming materials such as Zotek foam into reinforcement for injection-molded parts or 3D-printing filament. NASA's Jennifer Edmunson praised the team for converting concepts into prototypes and digital twin models within two years, emphasizing NASA's commitment to rapid innovation.
The LunaRecycle Challenge, a $3 million, two-phase competition in partnership with The University of Alabama Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering, required U.S. teams to submit prototypes and optional digital twins. Phase 2 saw 14 finalist teams compete at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa from August 24 to August 28.
Along with the first prize winner, nine other teams received prizes in various categories, including second place overall, most innovative, highest mass efficiency, most trash types recycled, and the people's choice winner. NASA's Centennial Challenges have a history of fostering groundbreaking advancements in multiple fields, with the LunaRecycle Challenge serving as a testament to the power of collaboration among public and private sectors.
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