University of Utah Wins BIG Idea Lunar Forge Challenge

Artemis Program: A Step Towards Lunar Exploration

NASA’s Artemis Program aims to facilitate extensive human and robotic missions on the lunar surface as a precursor to future manned Mars exploration missions. Establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon will require a robust lunar infrastructure. A key aspect of this effort will be harnessing in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) – the ability to exploit naturally existing resources – to produce consumables and construct future lunar bases.

Metal Forging from Lunar Minerals

NASA is keen to further research ISRU processes such as extracting metals from lunar minerals to create structures and tools. The 2023 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Lunar Forge Challenge was aimed at seeking innovative concepts from university students to design an ISRU metal production pipeline on the Moon. The challenge, funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and Office of STEM Engagement, was part of NASA’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative aimed at developing new approaches and technologies for successful lunar surface exploration.

The Artemis Award: Recognizing Outstanding Innovation

The University of Utah team, in partnership with the Powder Metallurgy Research Laboratory, earned the Artemis Award, the top honor in the 2023 BIG Idea Challenge. Their project “Production of Steel from Lunar Regolith through Carbonyl Iron Refining (CIR)”, outlines a promising two-stage process of extracting iron from lunar soil and refining it into high-purity powder. The Artemis Award is given to the team with a concept having the best potential to contribute to and be integrated into an Artemis mission.

Avenues for Lunar Metal Production

Teams were given the option to select technologies along any point in the lunar metal production pipeline, including but not limited to:

• Metal refining
• Producing materials for additive manufacturing
• Testing and qualifying 3D printed infrastructure for use on the Moon

Recognizing Other Outstanding Teams

Apart from the top honor, several teams were also recognized in various categories, such as:

Edison Award: Missouri University of Science & Technology

Path-to-Flight Award: University of North Texas along with Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Processes Institute at UNT; Enabled Engineering

Systems Engineering: Northwestern University in collaboration with Wearifi Inc.; Rexnord Aerospace; QuesTek Innovations LLC; and ANSYS, Inc.

Best Verification Demonstration: Colorado School of Mines

BIG Picture Award: Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Honeybee Robotics 

Innovation Award: Pennsylvania State University with RFHIC & Jacobs Space Exploration Group

For more details about the 2023 BIG Idea Challenge, visit:
https://bigidea.nianet.org/2023-challenge/