The Aqualunar Challenge, a £1.2 million international prize funded by the UK Space Agency’s International Bilateral Fund and delivered by Challenge Works, has announced that it is awarding £300,000 to UK teams developing technologies to purify ice frozen in the Moon’s soil to make human habitation on the lunar surface viable.
Ten cutting-edge teams of innovators, engineers, and scientists have been named finalists in the Aqualunar Challenge. These teams are developing new technologies to provide a permanent crewed base on the Moon with reliable water supplies. The challenge is a collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada.
The importance of these new technologies lies in sustaining a permanent crewed base on the Moon over years and decades. Astronauts will need a reliable water supply for drinking, growing food, producing oxygen, and hydrogen for fuel. Extracting, separating, and purifying lunar ice is crucial for achieving NASA’s goal of establishing a base by the end of the decade through the Artemis campaign.
The finalists in the Aqualunar Challenge include innovative technologies such as the Titania-Diamond Annular Reactor (TiDAR), the SonoChem System, and Ganymede’s Chalice. These technologies aim to purify lunar water efficiently and effectively in the harsh lunar environment.
It is hoped that the technologies developed for space exploration will also have applications on Earth, particularly in water-stressed regions. By adapting these technologies, remote locations around the world could benefit from autonomous water purification systems that operate at extreme temperatures without the need for regular maintenance.
Research by the Aqualunar Challenge indicates that the public sees the value in developing technologies for space exploration that can also be used on Earth. The majority of respondents believe that using technology in space can help us better understand our planet and protect it. The potential of adapting lunar water purification technologies for use on Earth is highly promising.
The collaboration between the UK Space Agency, Challenge Works, the Canadian Space Agency, and Impact Canada in delivering the Aqualunar Challenge highlights the importance of international cooperation in advancing space exploration technologies. The diverse approaches taken by the finalists in the challenge showcase the potential for advancing technologies for various use cases on both Earth and the Moon.
For more information about the Aqualunar Challenge and to learn about the ten finalists in detail, visit the official website. The showcase of the ten finalist teams will take place at the Farnborough Air Show on Friday, July 26th. The innovative technologies being developed through the Aqualunar Challenge have the potential to revolutionize water purification not only in space but also on Earth.
