Chatsworth scientist scoops prestige UK prize with Moon survival tech

A groundbreaking technology developed by a South African entrepreneur has won the UK Space Agency-funded Aqualunar Challenge. Lolan Naicker’s SonoChem device took the top prize in a competition that featured scientists from some of the UK’s leading universities. His invention uses microwaves to melt ice and ultrasound to filter out impurities from lunar ice, potentially providing astronauts with drinkable water directly from the Moon’s surface. Naicker, originally from Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal, told BizNews in an interview that purifying water from lunar ice remains an unsolved challenge. He has identified four potential spin-out technologies from his invention—two for space applications and two for terrestrial use—which have attracted significant interest. The £150,000 prize money will allow him to expand his team, having previously relied on contractors while bootstrapping the venture. This is far from the end for the South African entrepreneur—he says he is surrounded by other partially completed projects, hinting at further innovations to come.