NASA needs to reinvent the wheel, so it's putting out a call to inventors, engineers - UPI.com

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- NASA said Wednesday the "next era" of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel as the space agency unveiled its "Rock and Roll" challenge.

The so-called "Rock and Roll with NASA" challenge seeks a clever inventor or team to design and create for NASA a special wheel that can, NASA said: "sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day."

"Whether you're a student team, a garage inventor, or a seasoned aerospace firm, this is your opportunity to rewrite the playbook of planetary mobility and leave tread marks on the future of exploration," officials at NASA said in a release.

The space agency added that an ultimately successfully idea could possibly "set the pace" for future surface missions.

Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge: The next era of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel - one that can sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights, and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day. The Rock and Roll with NASA... https://t.co/skRlc29hTp pic.twitter.com/UzfX1IHXsG— Elysia Segal (@elysiasegal) September 3, 2025