"Back to the Moon" celebrates our return to lunar exploration. As Marshall Space Flight Center marks 65 years in 2025, we're revisiting our original mission. What began with brief Moon visits is now advancing toward a permanent human presence, fundamentally changing our relationship with space exploration.
Going back to the Moon to stay presents real challenges. We need to reduce cargo shipments, mine lunar resources, protect against radiation and extreme temperatures, prevent damage from lunar dust, and land precisely while avoiding hazards. Solving these and other problems will advance technology for sustained lunar living.
Join our "Back to the Moon" challenge by submitting your innovative ideas as Amentum helps NASA overcome these obstacles. Your contribution could play a key role in humanity's next chapter of space exploration.
Innovator Shares IP: Innovator will retain all intellectual property rights AND will license the intellectual property to the Sponsor for their own use.
This challenge will award three cash prizes as shown below which will be paid to the designated captain of the winning teams; distribution among the team participants is the responsibility of the team captain. Taxes will not be withheld; any tax obligation will be the responsibility of the winning team members.
- First Place: $5,000
- Second Place: $3,000
- Third Place: $2,000
Additional entries may be acknowledged in a non-cash Honorable Mention category. US Citizenship is not required for Honorable Mentions.
All team members for cash prize and Honorable Mention awards will receive a free Back to the Moon t-shirt if a US Mailing address can be provided.
The initial proposal (up to three pages) should include the following sections in the PDF document submitted:
- Executive Summary.
- The problem your innovation aims to solve and how it will significantly enhance at least one critical aspect of human spaceflight (safety, affordability, schedule, capability).
- Your innovation, it's underlying principles of operation, and how it can be integrated into existing systems to significantly enhance human spaceflight. Include supporting data.
- Next steps to advance your innovation.
- Current level of technical readiness (TRL) and supporting explanation (https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/458490main_TRL_Definitions.pdf).
Additional information:
- Team member bios and resumes may be included and should be limited to 1 page per person. They do not count toward the 3-page limit.
- References should be in an appendix. They do not count toward the 3-page limit.
- Documents should be submitted in PDF format.
- Minimum font size is 12 pt.
