![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/cerberuz-lunarecycle-winners.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>NASA\u00a0named\u00a0a team from the\u00a0Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u00a0(MIT)\u00a0as the\u00a0first prize\u00a0winner\u00a0for\u00a0Phase 2\u00a0of the\u00a0agency\u2019s\u00a0LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge, which\u00a0focused on\u00a0developing\u00a0solutions for\u00a0reducing waste\u00a0during missions to the Moon or deep space by\u00a0recycling common materials,\u00a0like fabrics, plastics, foam, and metals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling\u00a0By\u00a0Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of\u00a0Zotek\u00a0(CERBERUZ) team,\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0undergraduate,\u00a0graduate,\u00a0and\u00a0doctoral\u00a0students at\u00a0MIT,\u00a0received a total of $775,000 in\u00a0awards.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The technology grinds mixed trash into a fine powder, repurposing materials such as\u00a0Zotek\u00a0foam as reinforcement rather than\u00a0treating\u00a0it as\u00a0contamination that needs to be sorted out. The powder becomes feed for use as injection-mold finished parts or 3D-printing filament. The\u00a0MIT\u00a0team won in both the competition\u2019s prototype development track and\u00a0in the track\u00a0focused on developing virtual models, known as \u201cdigital\u00a0twins,\u201d of recycling systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe\u00a0LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge 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\u00a0incredible 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\u00a0<\/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\u00a0competitors\u2019 backgrounds ranged\u00a0from\u00a0university students\u00a0and\u00a0faculty to entrepreneurs\u00a0and\u00a0space technology enthusiasts.\u00a0Teams were encouraged to envision solutions that not only addressed recycling in deep space, but that also could have applications on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Along with the first prize\u00a0winner,\u00a0nine\u00a0teams received prizes:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prototype track\u00a0winners:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Additional\u00a0digital twin track winners:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n People\u2019s choice winner ($25,000):\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis competition highlights how collaborations can lead to incredible solutions,\u201d said Chris Frangione, who manages the\u00a0LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge in support of NASA Centennial Challenges\u00a0contracted\u00a0through\u00a0Amentum\u00a0Space Exploration\u00a0Division.\u00a0\u201cBetween the solver teams, The University of Alabama, and NASA, this finale showcases what can be achieved when we bring together resources and great ideas towards a common goal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Phase 2\u00a0awards follow\u00a0the success of the competition\u2019s\u00a0Phase 1, which\u00a0received record-breaking interest from the global innovator community\u00a0with\u00a0more than 1,200 registrations \u2013 more than any competition in the 20-year history of\u00a0NASA\u00a0Centennial Challenges<\/a>.\u00a0For\u00a0Phase 1, which\u00a0concluded in 2025,\u00a0participants from around the world could\u00a0submit\u00a0designs\u00a0in either\u00a0or\u00a0both of\u00a0the prototype\u00a0or digital twin tracks.\u00a0A\u00a0panel of 50 judges evaluated\u00a0nearly 200\u00a0Phase 1\u00a0submissions, selecting\u00a017\u00a0teams representing\u00a0five countries and nine U.S. states\u00a0as winners.\u00a0\u00a0Phase 2\u00a0entries\u00a0were required\u00a0to be unrelated to Phase 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge is managed at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center by\u00a0Centennial Challenges, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing\u00a0program within NASA\u2019s Research and Technology Mission Directorate. NASA\u2019s Centennial Challenges have a legacy of more than 20 years engaging the public to solve complex problems that\u00a0benefit\u00a0NASA\u2019s broader initiatives. Past challenges have spurred advances in robotics, additive manufacturing, power and energy, textiles, chemistry, and biology.\u00a0<\/p>\n LunaRecycle is also supported by subject matter experts at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,\u00a0NASA\u2019s Ames Research Center in California\u2019s Silicon Valley, and\u00a0NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center, in Hampton, Virginia.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n To learn more about\u00a0LunaRecycle, visit:\u00a0<\/p>\n www.nasa.gov\/lunarecycle<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> NASA\u00a0named\u00a0a team from the\u00a0Massachusetts Institute of Technology\u00a0(MIT)\u00a0as the\u00a0first prize\u00a0winner\u00a0for\u00a0Phase 2\u00a0of the\u00a0agency\u2019s\u00a0LunaRecycle\u00a0Challenge, which\u00a0focused on\u00a0developing\u00a0solutions for\u00a0reducing waste\u00a0during missions to the Moon or deep space by\u00a0recycling common materials,\u00a0like fabrics, plastics, foam, and metals.\u00a0 The\u00a0Composites for Extraterrestrial Recycling\u00a0By\u00a0Engineering the Reuse and Upcycling of\u00a0Zotek\u00a0(CERBERUZ) team,\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0undergraduate,\u00a0graduate,\u00a0and\u00a0doctoral\u00a0students at\u00a0MIT,\u00a0received a total of $775,000 in\u00a0awards.\u00a0\u00a0 The technology grinds mixed trash into a fine powder, [\u2026] Continue reading \n
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\nBailey G. Light <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"