The Rock and Roll with NASA competition offers up to $155,000 in prizes for innovative lunar wheel designs. In two-and-a-half years, NASA is planning its next manned mission to the moon. With them will be a lunar terrain vehicle (LTV).
The tires that carried Apollo astronauts across the lunar surface in the 1970s tripled their exploration range. But they were designed to survive just a handful of slow, careful drives. The Artemis program needs something far more advanced.
These tires will ferry cargo between South Pole landing zones and work sites kilometers away. They will need to tackle 20-degree slopes, rugged terrain, extreme temperatures, and months of use at higher speeds.
To find a new design, NASA is calling on engineers and innovators around the world to come up with ideas.
“NASA is returning crews to the Moon to establish an enduring, science-driven presence that will serve as the springboard to Mars,” it announced. “Central to that ecosystem is mobility…Innovation in mobility will be key to maximizing exploration.”
The challenge is to create wheels that can withstand the moon’s terrain while also traveling five times faster than the Apollo rover did.
“Rigid wheels work for slow, careful driving, but they struggle at higher speeds to absorb impacts as obstacles are traversed,” NASA explained.
It is looking for novel wheel concepts that combine low mass, shock absorption, and long life in a harsh environment.
Three phases
The contest has three phases. Phase one will see competitors submit a 3D CAD model of their wheels. They must also include a seven-page report explaining their design and how it meets the needs outlined by NASA. The deadline for this is November 5. A panel of experts will judge these entries and choose up to 10 for phase two.
Phase two will take place from January to April 2026. Entrants will need to produce a prototype of their lunar wheel and a video of its assembly and testing process. From here, a maximum of five teams will progress to the final phase. They will have to demonstrate their wheel’s capabilities on the MicroChariot Rover at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Rockyard in Texas.
By summer 2026, NASA expects to crown a winner after subjecting the top designs to performance and durability trials. For many participants, the reward is not just the prize money, but the chance to leave a mark on the future of space exploration. Though there can only be one winner, any wheel designs that show promise will be shared within NASA for potential use in other missions.
