Category Archives: Advanced Technology

Friday / 26 Mar 2021

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Lunar Vertical Solar Array Technology Moving Towards Realization With 5 Contractors On Project

Game Changing Development, A NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate Initiative, Is Providing 5 Space Technology Companies (Astrobotic, ATK Space Systems, Honeybee Robotics, Lockheed Martin, Space Systems Loral) With 1-Year Base Contracts Worth Up To $700K/ea For Design Of Autonomously Deployable, Relocatable 9.75m Vertical Photovoltaic Panels; 2 Companies Are To Be Selected For Prototype Construction / Testing Contracts Valued Up To $7.5M/ea And Eventual Deployment Near Moon South Pole, Creating Artificial “Points Of Eternal Light”, Ensuring “Continuous Power For Artemis Lunar Habitats And Operations” Per Chuck Taylor, Project Lead At Langley

Credits: NASA, MIT / Allegra Boverman

Tuesday / 16 Mar 2021

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NASA Solidifies Lunar Technology Development Relationship With Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL)

Task Order Adds US$30M To Existing Contract Of Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium Led By JHUAPL, Which Will Continue To Bring Moon Exploration R&D Thought Leaders Representing 300+ Industry, Academia And Government Organizations Together, Addressing Considerable Engineering Challenges Present On Lunar Surface – Power Supply, Survivability, Dust Mitigation, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Excavation / Construction – With Semi-Annual Meetings, Workshops And Monthly Focus Groups Which Will Guide NASA Lunar Technology Goals And Implementation Plans; “Extensive Systems Engineering Experience In Space Missions” Of JHUAPL To Support Establishment Of “Sustainable Lunar Surface Capabilities” Per Nikki Werkheiser Of STMD

Credits: NASA, JHUAPL

Friday / 5 Mar 2021

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China Advancing Lunar, Deep Space Plans With New Spacecraft

Currently The Only Country With Operations On Lunar Surface, China (Zhongguo) Is Augmenting Its Spacecraft Stable In Preparation For Major Robotic And Human Moon Missions; China Rocket Scientist And Member Of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Jiang Jie Tells State Media Super Heavy-Lift Launch And New Crew Vehicle Are Under Development By CASC (Rocket Building Subsidiary Of Prime Contractor CALT); SpaceNews Reports Likely SHLLV Specifications Of 4,140,000kg Launch Weight, 10m Diameter Core, 140,000kg Payload To LEO (Just 10,000kg Shy Of SpaceX Starship Projected Capacity), Kerosene-Fueled First Stage Making 4,448kN And LH2 / LOX Second Stage Producing 1957kN

Credits: CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 2 Mar 2021

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Magnetic Levitation Moon Railway Concept Being Studied For Feasibility

Transport Of Cargo, Raw Materials And People Across The Lunar Landscape Will Be Vital Aspect Of Moon Base Build-out Logistics In Coming Years, Necessitating Efficient Ground Transport; Flexible Levitation On A Track (FLOAT) Has Received Phase 1 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Funding For 9 Month, Up To US$125K Preliminary Study; Principal Investigator Ethan Schaler Of JPL Projects FLOAT System Capacity >100,000kg With Energy Requirement <40kW Over Multiple-Kilometer Scale Via Deployable Graphite / Flexible Circuit Track Utilizing Diamagnetic Force; Moon Rail Proposed In Early 20th Century By Lunar Visionaries

Credits: NASA, Ethan Schaler

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Jan 2021

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USA Commercial Enterprises Vie For Human Moon Landing System For Artemis 3

NASA HLS Program Manager Dr. Lisa Watson-Morgan (L) And HEOMD Administrator Kathy Lueders Expected To Designate HLS Winner From 3 Contenders Soon, Contract Base Period Ending February; Blue Origin Was Awarded $579M To Develop Traditional 3-Stage System; Dynetics $253M For Single Stage Craft Supported By Vulcan Centaur Refueling Rockets; SpaceX  $135M For Starship-Based System (Moonship) Which Also Relies On In-Space Cryogenic Refueling; Total Allotment To Build HLS Currently Meager $850M, NASA Estimates $3.3B Necessary

 

Credits: NASA, SpaceX, Dynetics, Blue Origin

Tuesday / 15 Dec 2020

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3D Printed Rocket Components Advanced By NASA Expected To Lower Lunar Lander Costs / Build Time

Automated Additive Manufacturing Processes Pioneered By Commercial Launch Providers Such As Rocketlab Now Being Validated For NASA Use On Future Landers By Long-Life Additive Manufacturing Assembly Program; High-Strength Alloy Combustion Chamber / Rocket Nozzle 280 Seconds Of 3315° C Ignition Data Spread Over 10 Days / 23 Tests Being Analyzed At MSFC In Huntsville AL For Durability, Efficiency In Comparison To Conventional Subtractive Machining Techniques; Industry Moving Towards Fully 3D Printed Rockets With Relativity Space Of LA CA Striving For 2021 Terran 1 Launch

Credits: NASA / MSFC, Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, Launcher

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Dec 2020

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NASA Advances Icy Lunar Regolith Excavation, Lava Tube Mapping & Earth-Moon Commerce

Systems Of Moon Excavation Are Focus Of Break The Ice Lunar Challenge, A Centennial Challenge Directed By KSC And MSFC With US$500k Phase 1 Funds, $4.5M Allocated To Phase 2; NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 3 Sponsored R&D Led By William ‘Red’ Whittaker On 15-kg / 1-Lunar Day Lifespan PitRanger Mini Rover Designed To Create HD Images Of Lava Tube Interiors Via Aggregation; With Intentions Of Stimulating Cislunar Economy, Masten, Lunar Outpost, ispace Europe & Japan Win Bids To Transport / Sell Moon Samples

Credits: NASA, William Whittaker / PitRanger team, Masten Space Systems, ESA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 30 Oct – 2 Nov 2020

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NASA Lunar Delivery Challenge Seeks New Ideas On Moon Cargo Logistics

With Regular Moon Delivery Of Equipment, Experiments, Supplies Commencing With CLPS 1 And 2 Missions In 2021, NASA Considering Unique Load-Out Challenges On Lunar Surface; Utilizing HeroX Crowdsourcing Platform Founded By Peter Diamandis (T), Led By CEO Christian Cotichini (B), Competition To Award US$10K For 1st Place Solution, 2 $4500 Prizes For 2nd, 3 $2,000 Prizes For 3rd ($25k Total); Concepts To Be Judged On 6 Criteria: Lunar Surface Applicability, Design Flexibility, Proposal Quality, Autonomy, Mass / Volume Optimization, Reliability/ Feasibility; Contest Ends January 19, 2021 17:00 EST

Credits: HeroX, NASA, Xprize, Topcoder, CLC

Friday / 11 Sep 2020

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New NASA Patented Route To Moon For Small Craft Will Reduce Costs, Flight Time To 2.5 Months

Orbital Maneuvers Patent (#10696423) Published 30 June Grants Intellectual Property Rights To NASA For Innovative Lunar Trajectory Which Could Allow Smaller Craft, Such As Dark Ages Polarimeter Pathfinder (Dapper), To Reach Moon Faster With Less Fuel, And Avoid Van Allen Belts Radiation; Led By CU Boulder PI Jack Burns, US$150M Dapper Mission Contained In 80-cm Bradford Explorer Bus, Could Be First To Take New Path In 2024; Mission Will Record Low Frequency Radio Waves Emitted During “Dark Ages” Earliest Epochs Of Universe, Perhaps Give Insight Into Dark Matter 

Credits: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Jack Burns, CU Boulder, Business Insider, Jeff Steck

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 4-7 Sep 2020

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4 Years Out From Human Moon Landing Goal, Artemis Tech Accelerates Development

SLS Core 8-Minute, 4-Engine Green-Run Test #5 Of 9 Planned NET Oct By Boeing At Stennis, Simulating Launch & Ascent; Recent 2-Minute SLS Booster Test Fire By Northrop In UT Provided 3.6M Pounds-Force, Simulating Lift Off & Flight, And Tested New Materials For Artemis 4 + Beyond; Orion Crew Capsule Moves Into Integration Phase As Major Final Certification Achieved, Will Be Shipped To KSC With SLS For Artemis 1 Launch NET Nov 2021; Artemis 2 + 3 Core Stages Under Production At Michoud

Credits: NASA, Northrop Grumman, Boeing