NASA Challenge: Robot, Bring Me Moon Dust

Digging "Moon Dirt" is NASA's Fifth Centennial Challenge

NASA today announced the Regolith Excavation Challenge, a new California Space Education and Workforce Institute (CSEWI).

The Regolith Excavation Challenge will award the prize money to the team that can design and build autonomously operating systems to excavate lunar regolith, or "moon dirt," and deliver it to a collector.
"Excavation of lunar regolith is an important and necessary step toward using the resources on the moon to establish a successful base for life on its surface," said NASA's acting Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Douglas R. Cooke. "The unique physical properties of the lunar regolith make excavation a difficult technical challenge," he added.



NASA - Digging "Moon Dirt" is NASA's Fifth Centennial Challenge