SPACE SAVER!
Nasa will pay you $20,000 to invent a way to rescue astronauts stranded at dark ‘South Pole of the Moon’
There are some rules you can't break though
NASA has asked brainy members of the public for ways to rescue astronauts stranded on the Moon – and will pay top dollar for your ideas.
The US agency has promised a top prize of $20,000 (about £15,800) for the best idea.
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It's part of a $45,000 (around £35,550) prize pool for Nasa's South Pole Safety Challenge: Lunar Rescue System.
Nasa is worried that astronauts might injure themselves on the harsh lunar surface – and be unable to get back to safety.
It's a very real worry, given that Nasa is currently planning to have astronauts explore the Moon's South Pole as soon as September 2026.
"In the unforgiving lunar environment, the possibility of an astronaut crewmember becoming incapacitated due to unforeseen circumstances (injury, medical emergency, or a mission-related accident) is a critical concern," Nasa's Sarah Douglas explained.
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"Starting with the upcoming Artemis III mission, where two astronaut crewmembers will explore the Lunar South Pole."
Nasa is partway through its Artemis missions, which are supposed to establish an ongoing human presence on the Moon.
The Lunar South Pole has been picked as a prime spot for exploration.
One of the main reasons is that there's hope that astronauts could use water-ice trapped in shadowy craters.
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This could be a valuable resource, with astronauts using it for drinking, cooling, and potentially to produce oxygen and even fuel.
But Nasa has warned that it's going to be difficult for astronauts to explore.
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"The Moon’s surface is littered with rocks ranging from 0.15 to 20 meters in diameter and craters spanning 1 to 30 meters wide, making navigation challenging even under optimal conditions," Douglas explained.
"The low gravity, unique lighting conditions, extreme temperatures, and availability of only one person to perform the rescue, further complicate any rescue efforts."
Nasa's concern is that if an astronaut becomes incapacitated while outside of a base or vehicle, they'd be stuck.
So the space agency needs to find a practical way for their partner to return them safely (and quickly) back to a landing system.
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"A single crew member should be able to transport an incapacitated crew member distances up to 2 km and a slope of up to 20 degrees on the lunar terrain without the assistance of a lunar rover," Nasa explained.
So what does the solution need to look like?
Well it needs to be "low in mass", and very easy to deploy for a single person.
And it should be capable of transporting a fully incapacitated partner back to base.
NASA ARTEMIS MISSIONS – THE TIMELINE
The Artemis mission is designed to reestablish a human presence on the Moon.
The exploration program will involve a series of missions, including the create of a permanent Moon base.
As with all space missions, planned timings can be wildly off – but here's what we're expecting...
Artemis I (2022) – Successful uncrewed test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Artemis II (2025) – Planned crewed test flight of SLS and the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis III (2026) – Crewed landing on surface of Moon – the first American landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Artemis IV (2028) – Second crewed lunar landing mission using Orion, as well as Starship HLS that will dock with Lunar Gateway station near the Moon.
Artemis V (2030) – Third crewed landing, including the delivery of Nasa's Lunar Terrain Vehicle.
Artemis VI (2031) – Fourth crewed landing, integrating the Crew and Science Airlock with the Lunar Gateway Space Station.
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That might not sound too hard, but Nasa says a fully-suited astronaut weights around 755lbs (343 kilos).
Temperatures aren't in your favour either: the Moon can range from 54C to -203C (130F to -334F) according to Nasa.
Importantly, your solution can't just rely on the lunar rover.
"The solution must perform effectively in the Moon’s extreme South Pole environment and operate independently of a lunar rover," Nasa explained.
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"Your creativity and expertise could bridge this critical gap, enhancing the safety measures for future lunar explorers.
"By addressing this challenge, you have the opportunity to contribute to the next 'giant leap' in human space exploration."
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The challenge is now open to the public, and will close on January 23, 2025.
You can read the full rules and apply .
The Moon – our closest neighbour explained
Here's what you need to know...
- The Moon is a natural satellite – a space-faring body that orbits a planet
- It's Earth's only natural satellite, and is the fifth biggest in the Solar System
- The Moon measures 2,158 miles across, roughly 0.27 times the diameter of Earth
- Temperatures on the Moon range from minus 173 degrees Celcius to 260 degrees Celcius
- Experts assumed the Moon was another planet, until Nicolaus Copernicus outlined his theory about our Solar System in 1543
- It was eventually assigned to a "class" after Galileo discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610
- The Moon is believed to have formed around 4.51billion years ago
- The strength of its gravitational field is about a sixth of Earth's gravity
- Earth and the Moon have "synchronous rotation", which means we always see the same side of the Moon – hence the phrase "dark side of the Moon"
- The Moon's surface is actually dark, but appears bright in the sky due to its reflective ground
- During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun almost completely. Both objects appear a similar size in the sky because the Sun is both 400 times larger and farther
- The first spacecraft to reach the Moon was in 1959, as part of the Soviet Union's Lunar program
- The first manned orbital mission was Nasa's Apollo 8 in 1968
- And the first manned lunar landing was in 1969, as part of the Apollo 11 mission
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