NASA opens Lunar Grounding Challenge with $150,000 prize pool

NASA has launched the Lunar Grounding Challenge to solve a critical safety problem for lunar exploration. Astronauts walking on the Moon accumulate dangerous levels of static charge—up to -100 kV—due to the lack of atmosphere and triboelectric effects from lunar dust. When they return to a lander held at about 100 V, the resulting discharge could damage equipment or harm the astronaut. The challenge seeks designs that can equalize this potential difference while limiting current to under 1 mA, ideally below 0.2 mA to avoid human perception, without allowing arcs to contact the suit or astronaut.

The technical constraints

• Voltage differential: Astronauts may reach -100 kV or higher; lunar landers sit at roughly +100 V
• Current limit: Must not exceed 1 mA; target is below 0.2 mA to remain below human perception threshold
• Arc safety: Any arc must not contact the suit or astronaut directly
• Environment: Moon's near-vacuum is a near-perfect insulator, ruling out humidity-based solutions used on Earth
• Time constraint: Simple resistive bleeding is too slow at these voltages in an insulating environment

Why it matters

The challenge represents a rare opportunity for open hardware and maker community participation in space technology, with NASA explicitly seeking public submissions rather than contracting established aerospace firms exclusively.