{"id":523564,"date":"2026-08-29T06:30:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T20:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=1042552"},"modified":"2026-08-29T06:30:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T20:30:52","slug":"nasa-awards-first-prize-in-phase-2-of-agencys-lunarecycle-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=523564","title":{"rendered":"NASA Awards First\u00a0Prize\u00a0in Phase 2 of Agency\u2019s LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology team won NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge competition for their project, Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling\u00a0By\u00a0Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of\u00a0Zotek (CERBERUZ).<\/div>\n
Credit: NASA\/Savannah Bullard<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA named a team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the first prize winner for Phase 2 of the agency\u2019s LunaRecycle Challenge, which focused on developing solutions for reducing waste during missions to the Moon or deep space by recycling common materials, like fabrics, plastics, foam, and metals. <\/p>\n

The Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling By Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of Zotek (CERBERUZ) team, comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at MIT, received a total of $775,000 in awards.  <\/p>\n

The technology grinds mixed trash into a fine powder, repurposing materials such as Zotek foam as reinforcement rather than treating it as contamination that needs to be sorted out. The powder becomes feed for use as injection-mold finished parts or 3D-printing filament. The MIT team won in both the competition\u2019s prototype development track and in the track focused on developing virtual models, known as \u201cdigital twins,\u201d of recycling systems. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe LunaRecycle Challenge finale is the culmination of two years of innovation spurred by this competition,\u201d said Jennifer Edmunson, program manager for Centennial Challenges at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see these technologies go from concept to prototype and digital twin demonstrations in that time. Driving rapid and creative innovation is what NASA challenges are all about.\u201d <\/p>\n

LunaRecycle\u00a0is a\u00a0$3 million, two-phase competition\u00a0in partnership\u00a0with The\u00a0University of\u00a0Alabama\u00a0Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering.\u00a0Phase 2\u00a0of the competition\u00a0required\u00a0U.S.\u00a0teams\u00a0to\u00a0submit\u00a0a\u00a0prototype, with an optional digital twin serving as a virtual model of it.<\/p>\n

For Phase 2, 14 finalist teams from across the United States gathered at The University of\u00a0Alabama\u2019s\u00a0Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering,\u00a0in Tuscaloosa,\u00a0from\u00a0Aug.\u00a024\u00a0to Aug.\u00a028\u00a0to\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0their technology prototypes. The\u00a0digital twin models\u00a0submitted\u00a0by some teams were\u00a0also presented alongside their\u00a0respective\u00a0prototypes.<\/p>\n

The competitors\u2019 backgrounds ranged from university students and faculty to entrepreneurs and space technology enthusiasts. Teams were encouraged to envision solutions that not only addressed recycling in deep space, but that also could have applications on Earth. <\/p>\n

Along with the first prize winner, nine teams received prizes: <\/p>\n

Prototype track\u00a0winners:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n