Heads held high for Missouri S&T finalists

Showcasing the incredible learning environment of the developing protoplex at Missouri University of Science and Technology, a multidisciplinary team of students from the school was selected as one of seven finalists in NASA's 2023 BIG Idea Challenge, and their efforts have opened the doors for many seeking to contribute toward future habitation among the stars.

In the fall of 2022, NASA announced its eighth annual Breakthrough, Innovation, and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge.

Designed to develop technologies and methods to help realize NASA's goals for the Artemis Program, which includes building the first colony on the Moon, the federal space agency has implemented numerous calls-to-action with engaging and fun challenges.

Inviting university students from across the country, this latest BIG Idea challenge, Lunar Forge, targeted the metal production pipeline – from extracting the minerals to creating the structures and tools – on the Moon.

Earlier this year, a team from Missouri S&T was selected as one of the finalists for its application titled "Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production Through Molten Salt Electrolysis" or LISAP-MSE, which won the group its chance to showcase its hypothesis among a panel of judges.

Earning over $160,000 in funding to flesh out their research, while the results may not have been a fairy tale ending, their work proved that the finish line isn't about avoiding a knockout but getting back up again.

Did not fail 1,000 times

After nearly half a year of further preparation after presenting their initial idea, the S&T team led by Jacob Ortega, a Ph.D. student in aerospace engineering and Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellow, presented their research on producing aluminum on the Moon last month in Cleveland.

Although the team was unable to successfully produce aluminum before the final stage of the contest, the team was awarded NASA's Edison Award – in honor of Thomas Edison and his numerous contributions to advancing technology but more so for his quote, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

Ortega said this award was to demonstrate that the team still made headway toward one-day manufacturing moon metals with their processes.

"A few of the judges - NASA Glenn employees working in both terrestrial and lunar resources - acknowledged that we were trying to tackle a very difficult problem," he added. "They commended us for the attempt to solve it and passed along business cards for us to keep in touch in case we had any questions or to update them when we finally produce aluminum."

Aside from Ortega, the Missouri S&T team included Grant Baer, a junior in aerospace engineering; Ryan Baur, a junior in aerospace engineering; Douglas Dawkins, a senior in machinal engineering; Nicholas Graham, a sophomore in aerospace engineering; Easton Ingram, a senior in mechanical engineering; Mercedes Lane, a senior in geology and geophysics; Giovanna Lenza, a junior in aerospace engineering; Alexander Newby, a junior in mechanical engineering; Keaton Painter, a junior in mechanical engineering; Mason Phillips, a senior in mechanical engineering; Alexander Schumacher, a sophomore in engineering management; and Matthew Sherman, a sophomore in metallurgical engineering.

Congratulations to the team for making it so far!

In the end, it is this kind of creative work and attempts at solving difficult problems that should be admired and remembered as the true engine necessary to one day live amongst the stars. Furthermore, an obstinate attitude after a failure as fuel for that engine, for Edison is still remembered to this day for bringing the world a lightbulb.