NASA is exploring the idea of opening the NASA Break the Ice Lunar Challenge to incentivize innovative approaches for excavating icy regolith and delivering water in extreme lunar conditions such as the lunar south pole. Advancement in these technologies could help enable initial human presence on the Moon. The Break the Ice Lunar Challenge seeks to address current technology gaps by identifying and fostering development and demonstrations of novel excavation and water delivery technologies that could be adapted for operation on the lunar surface, while also advancing excavation technologies for terrestrial commercialization.

The challenge would carry a total of up to $5,000,000 in prize money, to be awarded over two phases of competition, beginning in November 2020.

For updates about the challenge, follow @NASAPrize on Twitter and stay tuned to this webpage for important announcements.