WE’RE SEEKING TECHNOLOGIES TO PURIFY WATER ON THE MOON

The Aqualunar Challenge is a £1.2m international challenge prize focused on making human habitation in space possible by finding ways to purify water buried beneath the Moon’s surface.

This is being delivered by Challenge Works on behalf of the UK Space Agency in the UK, and by the Canadian Space Agency in partnership with Impact Canada.

The UK track of the Aqualunar Challenge will reward UK-led water purification innovations that will benefit both Earth and Space.

Applications have now closed and the finalist teams will be announced this summer.

Next steps

Ten finalists will receive £30k of seed funding in June 2024. Three grand prize winners will be announced in March 2025 winning a combined total of £300,000 to take their innovations further. There will be ample non-financial support as well, including: 

  • Technical support
  • Design support
  • Commercialisation support
  • Mentoring
  • Networking and events, including opportunities for international collaboration

Watch a webinar

Want to find out more about the Aqualunar Challenge? Catch up on a recording of one of our previous sessions.

WATER PURIFICATION INNOVATION MATTERS BECAUSE:

earth blovk

It will accelerate space technology, while also having wide applications on Earth

cp wtaer box

It will increase our resources to potable water – to drink and to grow food

cactus block

It will filter contaminants from lunar water that could be used as valuable resources

astronaught

To survive on the Moon, astronauts will need water to drink and to grow food

Space pod

It will help support a lunar economy in which supplies are not sourced entirely from the Earth

moon boix

It will reduce how much water we need to send to space, enabling more effective future exploration