British Space Agency Will Donate IDR 20.4 Billion For Water Purification Technology On The Moon

Illustration of water purification technology (photo: twitter @spacegovuk)

JAKARTA The British Space Agency launched Aqualunar Challenge, international funding for startups that want to develop water refining technology from ice buried on the Moon.

Aqualunar Challenge is a collaboration between the British Space Agency and Challenge Works, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and Impact Canada. These four institutions will provide funding of 1.2 million euros (Rp20.4 billion).

This award will be given to startups that make the best technology designs and are registered as participants in the Aqualunar Challenge. In June, the British Space Agency will choose the top ten innovations.

These ten designs will be given initial funds of IDR 511,374 to develop their ideas. After the idea is developed, the British Space Agency and its partners will choose three teams as winners and runners up.

These three teams will get the remaining Rp5.1 billion each. The idea they made still has to be developed and refined to support the Artemis mission, namely landing and exploration on the Moon.

The CEO of the British Space Agency Paul Bate said that the Aqualunar Challenge would produce ideas that benefit humans. Although made for the benefit of the Moon, this technology also has an impact on Earth.

The technology developed for space exploration has a successful history of finding new uses on Earth. Britain plays an important role in NASA-led Artemis Mission, Bate said in an official statement.

Meanwhile, Space Minister of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology Andrew Griffith said that Aqualunar Challenge is a platform for space technology startups to develop with great ideas.

Aqualunar's challenge demonstrates our commitment to collaborating in space innovation, opening up commercial opportunities, supporting lunar exploration, and building our important relationship with Canada, Griffith said.