Sept. 3 (UPI) — NASA said Wednesday the “next era” of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel as the space agency unveiled its “Rock and Roll” challenge.<\/p>\n
The so-called “Rock and Roll with NASA” challenge seeks a clever inventor or team to design and create for NASA a special wheel that can, NASA said: “sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day.”\n<\/p>\n
“Whether you’re a student team, a garage inventor, or a seasoned aerospace firm, this is your opportunity to rewrite the playbook of planetary mobility and leave tread marks on the future of exploration,” officials at NASA said in a release<\/a>.<\/p>\n The space agency added that an ultimately successfully idea could possibly “set the pace” for future surface missions.<\/p>\n Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge: The next era of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel – one that can sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights, and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day. The Rock and Roll with NASA… https:\/\/t.co\/skRlc29hTp<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/UzfX1IHXsG<\/a>\u2014 Elysia Segal (@elysiasegal) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Ideally, the wheel design would be a “lightweight, compliant wheel that stays tough at higher speeds while carrying lots of cargo,” NASA said.<\/p>\n The three-phase challenge starts by rewarding the best concepts and analyses and funding for prototypes in the second phase.<\/p>\n By phase three, the best wheels will be put through a live NASA obstacle course simulating lunar terrain at Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n Aside from the engineering glory, NASA’s contest also will award $155,000 in total prizes.<\/p>\n The open date for the phase one enrollment closes November 4, with phase two and three dates extending through next year.<\/p>\n “Follow the challenge, assemble your crew and roll out a solution that takes humanity back to the moon,” NASA officials added on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\n