NASA Invites Media to LunaRecycle Challenge Finale Event in Alabama
NASA will announce winners of the LunaRecycle Challenge on August 28 in Alabama, highlighting innovations in lunar waste recycling systems for future missions.
NASA will reveal the winners of the LunaRecycle Challenge’s final phase on August 28 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The event, open to media and the public, will feature up to 14 finalist teams showcasing their recycling solutions designed to manage non-metabolic waste for lunar missions. NASA and university leadership will discuss the future of lunar innovation during the Technology Showcase and Winners Announcement, which begins at 8:30 a.m. CDT in Room 1026 of H.M. Comer Hall. Media must confirm attendance with the NASA Marshall newsroom by August 27.
The $3 million challenge, divided into two phases, aims to develop recycling systems that reduce waste and enhance sustainability for extended lunar missions. In the final round of Phase 2, teams refined prototypes and digital twin concepts before live testing at McAbee Construction in Tuscaloosa earlier this month. Up to 11 teams will share a $1.325 million prize purse, with top prototypes and digital twins receiving awards ranging from $125,000 to $500,000. Technical Achievement Prizes and a $25,000 People’s Choice Award will also be presented during the closing ceremony at 12 p.m.
The LunaRecycle Challenge is managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center through its Centennial Challenges program, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing Program within NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate. The challenge builds on a 20-year history of engaging the public to solve complex problems benefiting NASA’s broader initiatives, including advances in robotics, manufacturing, and energy. Phase 1 received over 1,200 registrations from innovators worldwide, with 17 teams selected as winners across five countries and nine U.S. states.
The University of Alabama’s Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering partners with NASA to execute the challenge, supported by recycling experts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Ames Research Center. The event underscores NASA’s commitment to fostering public-private collaboration to address critical needs for sustainable lunar exploration. Winners will be announced live during the closing ceremony, marking the culmination of a competition designed to drive technological breakthroughs for future space missions.