ESA CRADLE - MoLES³

ESA Space Resources Challenge: Mobile Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System

Overview

This is Team CRADLE’s entry to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) 2nd Space Resources Challenge, held from 13–17 October 2025 at the LUNA Analog Facility in Cologne, Germany. As one of the eight finalists — and one of two teams representing Great Britain — the team successfully deployed the Mobile Lunar Excavation and Size Separation System (MoLES³) in lunar-like conditions for 2.5 hours, the duration set by the challenge organisers. Several constraints were also considered, including mass (60 kg), power (300 Wh), and dust mitigation — all of which the team managed to address within a development period of just over nine months.

Contribution

I served as the Technical Lead and Mission Director, guiding the MoLES³ project from its proposal and early concept development through to full deployment at the LUNA Facility. I coordinated cross-functional teams, led feasibility studies and system architecture decisions, and oversaw the development of the excavation, mobility, and beneficiation subsystems. I also managed logistics and export controls, while designing the ConOps, mission structure, and testing workflows used during rehearsals and field trials. I directed safety processes, defined mission roles, and led the end-to-end campaign to ensure reliable system performance in a high-fidelity lunar analogue environment. This work positioned CRADLE as a competitive UK entrant in planetary in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) robotics and established the foundation for follow-on research, publications, and future ESA opportunities.

Team CRADLE inside the LUNA Analog Facilit yof the ESA Astronaut Centre (Cologne, Germany)