NASA has asked brainy members of the public for ways to rescue astronauts stranded on the Moon – and will pay top dollar for your ideas. (Web Desk) - The US space agency has promised a top prize of $20,000 (about £15,800) for the best idea.
It's part of a $45,000 (around £35,550) prize pool for Nasa's South Pole Safety Challenge: Lunar Rescue System.
Nasa is worried that astronauts might injure themselves on the harsh lunar surface – and be unable to get back to safety.
It's a very real worry, given that Nasa is currently planning to have astronauts explore the Moon's South Pole as soon as September 2026.
"In the unforgiving lunar environment, the possibility of an astronaut crewmember becoming incapacitated due to unforeseen circumstances (injury, medical emergency, or a mission-related accident) is a critical concern," Nasa's Sarah Douglas explained.
"Starting with the upcoming Artemis III mission, where two astronaut crewmembers will explore the Lunar South Pole."
Nasa is partway through its Artemis missions, which are supposed to establish an ongoing human presence on the Moon.
The Lunar South Pole has been picked as a prime spot for exploration.
One of the main reasons is that there's hope that astronauts could use water-ice trapped in shadowy craters.
This could be a valuable resource, with astronauts using it for drinking, cooling, and potentially to produce oxygen and even fuel.
But Nasa has warned that it's going to be difficult for astronauts to explore.
"The Moon’s surface is littered with rocks ranging from 0.15 to 20 meters in diameter and craters spanning 1 to 30 meters wide, making navigation challenging even under optimal conditions," Douglas explained.
"The low gravity, unique lighting conditions, extreme temperatures, and availability of only one person to perform the rescue, further complicate any rescue efforts."
Nasa's concern is that if an astronaut becomes incapacitated while outside of a base or vehicle, they'd be stuck.
So the space agency needs to find a practical way for their partner to return them safely (and quickly) back to a landing system.
"A single crew member should be able to transport an incapacitated crew member distances up to 2 km and a slope of up to 20 degrees on the lunar terrain without the assistance of a lunar rover," Nasa explained.
So what does the solution need to look like?
Well it needs to be "low in mass", and very easy to deploy for a single person.
And it should be capable of transporting a fully incapacitated partner back to base.
That might not sound too hard, but Nasa says a fully-suited astronaut weights around 755lbs (343 kilos).
Temperatures aren't in your favour either: the Moon can range from 54C to -203C (130F to -334F) according to Nasa.
Importantly, your solution can't just rely on the lunar rover. "The solution must perform effectively in the Moon’s extreme South Pole environment and operate independently of a lunar rover," Nasa explained.
"Your creativity and expertise could bridge this critical gap, enhancing the safety measures for future lunar explorers.
"By addressing this challenge, you have the opportunity to contribute to the next 'giant leap' in human space exploration."