Now Accepting Submissions for the 2021 Challenge

There will not be a 2023 Moon to Mars Ice & Prospecting Challenge (MMIP).
The program is on hiatus until further notice.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2021 MOON TO MARS ICE & PROSPECTING CHALLENGE WINNING TEAMS!

View 2021 Technical Papers & Digital Posters

Read the NASA Feature Story

Watch the NASA Science Live Broadcast

ANNOUNCING THE 2021 MOON TO MARS ICE & PROSPECTING CHALLENGE FINALISTS!

Auburn University
Obtaining Access to Subsurface Ice Sources (OASIS)
Advisors: Davide Guzzetti, Ehsan Taheri, Eldon Triggs

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Sub-lunar Tap Yielding eXplorer & Surface Telemetry Operations and Next-generation Excavation System (STYX & STONES)
Advisor: Peter Schuster

(DNF) Colorado School of Mines
Moon/Mars Ice New Exploratory System
Advisors: Angel Abbud-Madrid, Mark Florida, Deep Joshi

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
HYDRATION III: High Yield Dihydrogen-monoxide Retrieval And Terrain Identification On New worlds
Advisors: Jeffrey Hoffman, Olivier de Weck, Martin Culpepper, Herbert Einstein, Michael Hecht

Northeastern University
PARSEC: Percussive And Rotary Surveying & Extracting Carousel
Advisor: Taskin Padir

San Diego State University with Collins Aerospace
Aztec in-situ Resource Extraction System (ARES)
Advisors: Scott Shaffar, Saeed Manshadi, Barry Dorr

South Dakota State University
JAMMER: Jackrabbit Automated Moon to Mars Extractor and prospectoR
Advisor: Todd Letcher

Stevens Institute of Technology
EXT.R.A.C.T.I.N.A.T.O.R. (EXTraterrestrial Robotic Accumulator of Cavity Trapped Ice Not Accessible To Ordinary Residents)
Advisor: Eric Williams

Texas A&M University, College Station
DRilling and Extraction Automated System (DREAMS)
Advisors: Eduardo Gildin, Robert Skelton, Sam Noynaert

University of Pittsburgh
Vaporizer of Underground Liquid for Consumption by Astronaut coloNists (VULCAN)
Advisors: Matthew Barry (U Pitt), Ismael Mercier (Boeing)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Two-probe AUtomated Regolith Upheaval System (TAURUS)
Advisor: Kevin Shinpaugh

State University of New York Polytechnic Institute
Polytechnic Ice Surveyal, Collection, and Extraction System (PISCES)
Advisors: William Durgin (SUNY), Barry Smith (Retired NASA)

Texas A&M University, College Station
DRilling and Extraction Automated System (DREAMS)
Advisors: Eduardo Gildin, Robert Skelton, Sam Noynaert

1st Place ($6,000 Prize), Most Water Collected (24,335 mL), Best Digital Poster

MIT 2021 MMIPMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Title: HYDRATION III: High Yield Dihydrogen-monoxide Retrieval And Terrain Identification On New worlds
Advisors: Jeffrey Hoffman, Olivier de Weck, Martin Culpepper, Herbert Einstein, Michael Hecht

2nd Place ($4,000 Prize),
Best Technical Paper

Northeastern University 2021 MMIPNortheastern University
PARSEC: Percussive And Rotary Surveying & Extracting Carousel
Advisor: Taskin Padir

Lightest System Mass & Most Innovative Concept

University of Pittsburgh, 40.75 kg
Vaporizer of Underground Liquid for Consumption by Astronaut coloNists (VULCAN)
Advisors: Matthew Barry (U Pitt), Ismael Mercier (Boeing)

Most Accurate Digital Core

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Sub-lunar Tap Yielding eXplorer & Surface Telemetry Operations and Next-generation Excavation System (STYX & STONES)
Advisor: Peter Schuster

Clearest Water

South Dakota State University
JAMMER: Jackrabbit Automated Moon to Mars Extractor and prospectoR
Advisor: Todd Letcher

 

2021 COMPETITION FEATURED ON NASA SCIENCE LIVE
2020 COMPETITION CANCELLED;
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2021 — THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

MMIP Challenge logo

RASC-AL program staff will respond to questions presented by eligible student and faculty from accredited colleges and universities in the United States (and international team participants formally affiliated with a US-based university team).