NASA’s Challenge To Design Miniature Payload Could Win You $160,000

NASA's space exploration missions have been touching new milestones each year. And the space research organizations have several projects underway to scout the outer space. In the latest developments, NASA has announced a new challenge for the public which comes along with a lucrative cash prize.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is based in Southern California has announced a competition called "Honey, I Shrunk the NASA Payload". In this competition, the participants will need to submit their design of a miniature payload which can be used for a Moon mission in the future.

The space research organization is hosting this competition to come across an instrument design model that will help then use the resource available on the lunar surface so that it can further help in sustaining life there.

The challenge's description on the crowdfunding platform HeroX notes, "In situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)" or using the resources available on the lunar surface and transform them into items that are essential for human use and survival".

This challenge has already been announced on April 9 is on for global users. As a part of the competition, the contenders will need to build rovers that will measure 100 mm by 100 mm entirely including. The primary goal of this project is to cut down on the numbers of instruments being sent on the lunar surface and also decrease the number of possible experiments there.

Also, it is expected that the data which these miniature payloads will collect will be useful for future lunar expeditions and also for the Artemis program. The participants will need to design their payloads so small that it should fit in a small box with ease. NASA has also announced whopping $160,000 price money for the winner.