NASA Moon-Bound Competition for Innovative Wheel Design in MicroChariot Prototypes
NASA is envisioning a future on the Moon that includes power stations, scientific outposts, communication towers, and habitats for astronauts or private contractors. To make this vision a reality, the agency is in search of innovative solutions, and one of the key components is the wheel.
The Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge, launched in collaboration with HeroX, aims to create a 21st-century wheel designed for lunar travel. The challenge is not just about inventing a new tire; it's about imagining how a deceptively simple piece of hardware can transform the way we move across planetary bodies.
This venture is structured in three phases:
- Ideation and Design (Fall 2025): Participants are invited to submit detailed concepts explaining their wheel or tire design and the science behind it, focusing on low mass, compliance, and long service life in lunar conditions.
- Prototyping (Winter–Spring 2026): Selected teams will build and test prototypes of their designs using NASA's MicroChariot Rover as a testbed.
- Demonstration (Summer 2026): The final phase will see prototypes demonstrated, potentially with NASA testing.
The performance goals include withstanding impacts at higher speeds, absorbing shocks from rugged terrain, and ensuring long operational life under extreme lunar surface conditions. Participants must clearly articulate how their design meets these technical goals.
The designs submitted to the Rock and Roll Challenge may aid NASA in achieving its long-term goal of sustainable lunar surface operations, including transportation, construction, and cargo movement. The goal is to design flexible, lightweight, and rugged wheels that can help robotic rovers and eventually astronauts traverse the Moon's surface.
The competition is open for universities, startups, engineering clubs, or passionate individuals to get involved. The challenge offers up to $150,000 in prizes and requires submissions to include a balance of innovation, practical engineering feasibility, and durability of the wheel and tire concept.
Submissions will be judged on the scalability of the proposed wheel design, with an emphasis on whether it can be expanded for use on larger vehicles or miniaturized for smaller ones without the need for new manufacturing equipment. This challenge is part of a growing trend in aerospace innovation: crowdsourcing, where traditionally insular processes are opened to the broader public to discover untapped talent.
The official rules, including technical specs, intellectual property guidelines, and judging criteria, will be released at the time of the full launch this fall. Until then, the pre-launch period has started, inviting potential participants to form teams, brainstorm ideas, and spread the word. The Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge is not just about the next Artemis mission or the next robotic explorer; it's about defining the infrastructure of a permanent lunar presence.
[1] NASA's Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge Official Site [2] HeroX's Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge Page [4] NASA's Technical Requirements for the Rock and Roll Challenge
- The Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge, a collaboration between NASA and HeroX, seeks innovative solutions for a 21st-century lunar travel wheel that can transform movement across planetary bodies, particularly the Moon.
- In the first phase of the Rock and Roll Challenge, participants are invited to submit innovative designs for low-mass, compliant, and long-lasting wheels that can withstand impacts and shocks, absorb shocks from rugged terrain, and endure extreme lunar surface conditions.
