NASA Selects Honeybee Robotics, Blue Origin, and Astrobotic for Groundbreaking Lunar Solar Power Technology Testing

Try to imagine that you are designing a technology that is expected to work on the moon for at least ten years and provide electricity during that time. NASA has selected three companies that are developing just such systems. Their goal is to provide the group with power sources for missions from the Artemis program that will go to the south pole of the moon. In 2022, agreements were concluded with these companies, which also included the use of the SESL (Space Environment Simulation Laboratory) at the Johnson Center in Houston to test their photovoltaic panels that were working or – dependent to confirm. In particular, it involves the use of Room A in Building 32. The prototypes tested here so far have undergone extensive tests to prove that the technologies can withstand the harsh environment of the moon and that they will decompose properly on the surface of the moon.

In the summer of 2024, Honeybee Robotics, Blue Origin and Astrobotic Technology tested their photovoltaic panel concepts in Room A. Each company proposed a specific solution for the design of the panels, which must withstand extreme temperature changes. The data collected in the SESL laboratory will be used to fine-tune the requirements and plan future developments with the goal of landing at least one such system near the Moon’s south pole .

The contracts for these activities are part of the VSAT (Vertical Solar Array Technology) project, which is expected to support the space agency’s plans for long-term operations on the lunar surface. VSAT is part of the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development program and is led by Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in collaboration with Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “We expect the Moon to become a center for the production of satellites and hardware using the energy needed to launch them from the lunar surface.,” says Jim Burges, lead systems engineer for the VSAT project, adding: “This vision could revolutionize both space exploration and industry.“

The SESL laboratory was built in 1965 and initially supported the Gemini and Apollo programs. Later, it was updated and adapted to test other missions – from the space shuttle program, through rovers on Mars, to the confirmation of the design of the James Webb telescope. Even today, the site is still being developed to support future lunar exploration by the Artemis program. The Johnson Center’s Front Door initiative aims to solve the challenges of space exploration by connecting bold and innovative ideas to explore new destinations.

“SESL is just one of the hundreds of unique opportunities we have here at the Johnson CenterMolly Bannon, an expert at the Johnson Center for Strategy and Innovation, said:The Front Door campaign provides a clear picture of all our capabilities and services, the ways in which our partners can access them and how to contact us. We know that together with our partners across the entire space ecosystem, we can go further if we all come together as a center for manned spaceflight.“

Chamber A remains one of the largest thermal vacuum chambers of its type with the ability to provide the true temperature of deep space with temperatures up to 20 Kelvin. This will allow engineers to collect key data on how individual technologies cope with the harsh conditions of the moon – especially on the moon’s frigid nights, when systems may have to survive in darkness for up to 96 hours.

“Testing these prototypes will help ensure safer and more reliable space technologies,” Chuck Taylor, VSAT project manager, said, “The goal is to create a self-sustaining system that supports the exploration of the Moon and beyond, ensuring that our presence on the Moon is not only possible, but also sustainable.“

Power generation systems must operate independently to deal with outages and ensure survival on the lunar surface. These systems need to communicate with habitable modules and rovers. It requires continuous power supply and recharging as needed. They must also be able to open on a curved surface, extend nearly 10 meters to reach the sunlight, and retract again for final movement. “Generating power on the moon has many lessons and is a constant learning process” admits Taylor, saying, “While this may seem like a technological challenge, it is an exciting frontier that combines known technologies with innovative solutions for navigating the lunar landscape and building a robust lunar power grid. and strong.“

Translated from:
https://www.nasa.gov/

Image Sources:
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