NASA has opened a multi‑phase public challenge to develop the next generation of lunar rover wheels, targeting designs that can withstand abrasive regolith, extreme temperature swings, and higher traverse speeds while hauling substantial payloads. The Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge offers a total purse of $155,000 to advance wheel concepts from paper through prototype and on‑terrain testing.
How the phased competition works
- Phase 1: Concept and analysis — Opened August 28, 2025; closes November 4, 2025. Focuses on innovative wheel architectures, materials, performance modeling, and risk mitigation.
- Phase 2: Prototyping — Runs January–April 2026. Selected teams build and refine physical prototypes informed by Phase 1 evaluations.
- Phase 3: On‑terrain trials — May–June 2026. Top designs are exercised on a live obstacle course simulating lunar terrain at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Rockyard in Houston.
To validate designs, NASA will use MicroChariot, a nimble, 45 kg test rover configured to assess traction, durability, compliance, and handling over representative obstacles. Throughout the challenge, NASA mobility engineers are expected to provide technical feedback aligned with lunar surface mobility objectives.
Technical context
Wheels for lunar operations must maintain traction and structural integrity in vacuum, tolerate cryogenic night temperatures, shed or resist sharp, electrostatically charged dust, and minimize power consumption while protecting downstream drivetrain components. Compliance features, grouser geometry, materials selection, and thermal resilience are central design variables.
The push for advanced wheels reflects growing demand for sustained surface logistics under Artemis and related missions. Compared with heritage Apollo mesh wheels or the puncture‑prone aluminum wheels flown on some Mars rovers, next‑gen lunar wheels aim for higher durability at speed, stable payload handling, and consistent performance across varied regolith and rocky terrains.
Participation and resources
The challenge is hosted on HeroX, where teams can review rules, submission requirements, and schedule details. Phases progress from analysis to hardware, culminating in comparative, on‑terrain evaluations in Houston. The official NASA announcement and key dates are available on the agency’s website.
- NASA announcement: Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge
- Challenge portal: herox.com/NASARockandRoll
Phase 1 opened on August 28, 2025, and closes on November 4, 2025. Phase 2 is scheduled for January–April 2026, and Phase 3 for May–June 2026. The total prize purse is $155,000, distributed across phases to reward high‑quality concepts, prototypes, and on‑terrain performance.
