\n<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note: This media advisory was updated Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, with a correct phone number for the media contact at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n NASA\u2018s Watts on the Moon Challenge, designed to advance the nation\u2019s lunar exploration goals under the Artemis campaign by challenging United States innovators to develop breakthrough power transmission and energy storage technologies that could enable long-duration Moon missions, concludes on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland.<\/p>\n \u201cFor astronauts to maintain a sustained presence on the Moon during Artemis missions, they will need continuous, reliable power,\u201d said Kim Krome-Sieja, acting program manager, Centennial Challenges at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cNASA has done extensive work on power generation technologies. Now, we\u2019re looking to advance these technologies for long-distance power transmission and energy storage solutions that can withstand the extreme cold of the lunar environment.\u201d<\/p>\n The technologies developed through the Watts on the Moon Challenge were the first power transmission and energy storage prototypes to be tested by NASA in an environment that simulates the extreme cold and weak atmospheric pressure of the lunar surface, representing a first step to readying the technologies for future deployment on the Moon. Successful technologies from this challenge aim to inspire, for example, new approaches for helping batteries withstand cold temperatures and improving grid resiliency in remote locations on Earth that face harsh weather conditions.<\/p>\n Media and the public are invited to attend the grand finale technology showcase and awards ceremony for the $5 million, two-phase competition. U.S. and international media interested in covering the event should confirm their attendance with Lane Figueroa by 3 p.m. CDT Tuesday, Sept. 17, at: lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov. NASA\u2019s media accreditation policy is available online. Members of the public may register as an attendee by completing this form, also by Friday, Sept. 17.<\/p>\n During the final round of competition, finalist teams refined their hardware and delivered a full system prototype for testing in simulated lunar conditions at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. The test simulated a challenging power system scenario where there are six hours of solar daylight, 18 hours of darkness, and the user is three kilometers from the power source.<\/p>\n \u201cWatts on the Moon was a fantastic competition to judge because of its unique mission scenario,\u201d said Amy Kaminski, program executive, Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing, Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cEach team\u2019s hardware was put to the test against difficult criteria and had to perform well within a lunar environment in our state-of-the-art thermal vacuum chambers at NASA Glenn.\u201d<\/p>\n Each finalist team was scored based on Total Effective System Mass (TESM), which determines how the system works in relation to its mass. At the awards ceremony, NASA will award $1 million to the top team who achieves the lowest TESM score, meaning that during testing, that team\u2019s system produced the most efficient output-to-mass ratio. The team with the second lowest mass will receive $500,000. The awards ceremony stream live on NASA Glenn\u2019s YouTube channel and NASA Prize\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n The Watts on the Moon Challenge is a\u00a0NASA Centennial Challenge\u00a0led by NASA\u00a0Glenn. NASA Marshall manages Centennial Challenges, which are part of the agency\u2019s\u00a0Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program\u00a0in the\u00a0Space Technology Mission Directorate. NASA has contracted\u00a0HeroX\u00a0to support the administration of this challenge.<\/p>\n For more information on NASA\u2019s Watts on the Moon Challenge, visit:<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n -end-\u00a0<\/p>\n Jasmine Hopkins Lane Figueroa Brian Newbacher
Headquarters, Washington
321-432-4624
jasmine.s.hopkins@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256-932-1940
lane.e.figueroa@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Glenn Research Center, Cleveland
216-469-9726
brian.t.newbacher@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n