UAF team wins $25,000 prize in NASA challenge

The University of Alaska Fairbanks space robotics team has won a $25,000 prize in the first phase of NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge.

The competition, which opened in November 2020, asked for ideas for digging and hauling icy moon “dirt” from the moon’s south pole. NASA is looking for new approaches for excavating resources that astronauts will need during long-duration missions to the moon.

The UAF team built an excavator-hauler robot, then tested it with several varieties of natural and lunar simulated permafrost. The team, Aurora Robotics, was led by Orion Lawlor and included team members Denise Thorsen, Matt Perry, Logan VanClifford and Lindy Guernsey.

Aurora Robotics was one 10 runners-up in the contest, which attracted 31 eligible submissions from four countries and 17 U.S. states. Redwire Space, from Florida, took the top $125,000 prize.

Other contributors to the UAF effort included Mark Underwood, who helped path a lunar haul road; Tim Howe, who provided liquid nitrogen and cryogenic expertise; Joren Bowling, who commented on mine design; Raika Dial, who offered heavy equipment advice; and the open-source space community Nexus Aurora.

The second phase of the challenge may focus on hardware development and demonstration, according to NASA.