NASA is seeking designs and operational solutions to safely discharge electric charge that builds up on spacesuits during Moon walks near the lunar South Pole, according to the agency's Lunar Grounding Challenge page. Up to $150,000 in prizes is offered for concepts addressing the problem.

The agency explains that walking on the lunar surface and the surrounding plasma generate electric charge on a spacesuit. In lunar shadows and Permanently Shadowed Regions, the suit can accumulate a substantial negative potential because there is little ambient ion flux or photoelectron emission to balance electron collection. With no natural way for the charge to dissipate, an astronaut can return as a kind of high-voltage capacitor. In sunlight, a stationary lander holds a slightly positive potential, so the voltage difference at contact could trigger an electrostatic discharge — a spark that risks degrading suit layers, damaging suit electronics, threatening the oxygen-rich environment inside the suit, and shocking the crew.

The challenge, opened on October 5, 2026, seeks concepts for an Electrostatic Discharge mitigation solution that neutralizes the astronaut safely and promptly before direct interaction with the lander. Submissions close on January 15, 2027.