Area exploration is a harmful enterprise, particularly when squishy residing organisms, equivalent to people, are concerned. NASA has at all times prided itself on how significantly it takes the security of its astronauts, in order it gears up for the following huge push in crewed house exploration, the Artemis program, it’s searching for options to probably catastrophic conditions which may come up. One such disaster can be if one of many Artemis astronauts was incapacitated and couldn’t return to the lander. The one one that might probably have the ability to save them can be their fellow astronaut, however carrying a totally suited human again to their base of operations can be a problem for an astronaut equally kitted out in their very own cumbersome swimsuit. So, NASA determined to deal with it as exactly that – a problem – and ask for enter from most of the people, providing as much as $20,000 for one of the best resolution to the issue.
The problem, “South Pole Security: Designing the NASA Lunar Rescue System,” was introduced on November 14th and accepts entries till January twenty third, 2025. It awards $45,000 to at the least three winners, together with $20,000 to the first-place winner. So, what does the problem truly contain?
The work product is a design doc for a system able to transferring totally suited astronauts at the least two kilometers up a 20-degree slope with out being connected to a rover. Oh, and it has to have the ability to function within the harsh situations of the lunar south pole.
Sometimes, a totally suited human sporting the brand new Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Go well with, the brand new spacesuit explicitly designed for the Artemis missions, will weigh round 343 kg (755 lbs). Nevertheless, lunar gravity is just about 1/sixth that of Earth’s, so it would really feel extra like they weigh 57 kg (125 lbs). That’s nonetheless loads to hold however way more manageable.
Nevertheless, it’s most likely infeasible for the opposite astronaut to fireman carry their unconscious comrade over that distance, particularly since they’re sporting their very own spacesuit. So it’s as much as expertise to do the job. To take action, it must evade the pitfalls (in some instances actually) of the lunar south pole.
One hazard is the intense temperatures—they will vary from 54 C in full daylight to -203 C at night time. Any supplies used within the (particularly electronics) would, subsequently, want to have the ability to face up to such wild temperature swings.
Different hazards embrace razor-sharp lunar regolith, which is predicted to trigger havoc on most transferring mechanical programs on the Moon. Navigating round craters and big boulders whereas hopefully dodging micrometeoroid impacts provides to the advanced nature of the rescue setting.
A panel of specialists, together with some NASA engineers, will decide this competitors. Their scorecards will embrace classes like the general mass of the answer, its ease of use, and the way a lot it impacts the swimsuit design, if any—fortunately, treating the fallen astronaut whereas on the transfer again to security is exterior the scope of this problem.
Suppose you’re excited about taking part, probably incomes you or your workforce tens of hundreds of {dollars}. In that case, NASA is accepting submissions by means of the HeroX portal (generally used for public challenges) by means of January twenty fifth. Possibly sometime you’ll get to see your creation on the floor of the Moon—even when it would hopefully by no means be used.
Be taught Extra:
NASA – South Pole Security: Designing the NASA Lunar Rescue System
HeroX – South Pole Security
UT – Lunar Astronauts Will Want Simple Strolling Trails Across the Moon’s South Pole
UT – NASA, SpaceX Illustrate Key Moments of Artemis Lunar Lander Mission
Lead Picture:
Emblem of the South Pole Security Problem
Credit score – NASA / HeroX
