NASA asks students to design metal production pipeline on the Moon

Washington: The US space agency has asked university students to design a metal production pipeline on the Moon — from extracting metal from lunar minerals to creating structures and tools.
The ability to extract metal and build needed infrastructure on the Moon advances the Artemis Programme goal of a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, NASA said in a statement.
“Here at home, forging metal has long been a key part of building our homes and infrastructure, and the same holds true as we work towards a sustained presence on the Moon,” said Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).
“This challenge gives students the opportunity to help develop the future technology that will help us find, process, and manufacture with metal on the lunar surface,” Werkheiser added.
The 2023 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge invites university students to tackle some of the most critical needs facing space exploration and help create the mission capabilities that could make new discoveries possible.
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