CC21 Lunar Gateway Cargo Packing & Storing

NASA sought ideas for a lightweight, internal stowage system that will organize, support, and secure the cargo and supplies in the Logistics Module for launch and while in orbit at the Moon. Concepts needed to be lightweight, efficient storage options to organize and provide easy access for the crew as the cargo is also permanently stored inside the Logistics Module (LM) after the vehicle is delivered.

There are four key stowage system factors requested for this challenge (judging criteria):

1. System Feasibility (25%): The system must be based on currently available materials, technology, and engineering principles and must be able to withstand launch loads and have a very high reliability.
2. Cargo Access (35%): The on-orbit system must provide quick, easy access to the astronaut crew to save extremely limited and valuable crew time. Balancing volume optimization (packing densely) vs easy access can be challenging. The ideal system would provide an efficient approach for accessing items packed at deeper layers, not directly accessible to the crew. The use of tools to operate the system would require time and should be minimized or avoided completely.
3. Volume Optimization (20%): The system must include a cargo layout that makes maximum use of limited module volume. Structural components of the cargo system must be included in the total volume. Accommodating additional cargo beyond the required minimum will improve your score. Areas that require crew access must have the minimum specified translation path cross section (specified in Provided Data PDF).
4. System Mass (20%): An estimated mass of the stowage containment/restraint system (excluding the module and the cargo masses) is beneficial but not required. If no estimate is provided, an approximate mass on a scale of 1 to 5 will be assigned.

The stowage system must be able to withstand launch loads (7 g axial, 4 g lateral) but should be as light as possible to preserve limited launch mass capacity for cargo. A more complex stowage system could help organize and provide access to cargo but may reduce the cargo mass that can be delivered by the LM.

These competing factors must be balanced. A structural assessment is optional but may help prove feasibility of the design.

Several crowdsourced storage concepts were generated by this project, and the project owners would have had to rely on more expensive contracts to develop potential solutions. Concepts from multiple entries may contribute toward a final solution.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.