News

Michigan Technological Univeristy is featured on NASA's Image of the Day
6-21-2024

Michigan Technological University’s Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab tests the excavation tools of a robot on a concrete slab, held by a gravity-offloading crane.

Results from the final phase of NASA’s Break the Ice Lunar Challenge at Alabama A&M’s Agribition Center in Huntsville, Alabama
6-13-2024

Michigan Technological University earned an invitation to the TVAC facilities for performing exceptionally well in the excavation portion of the final competition

Paul van Susante Receives ASCE Outstanding Technical Contribution Award
4-19-2024

Dr van Susante was awared a Outstanding Technical Contribution Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Lunar Surface ISRU and Construction Technology - Progress at MTU-PSTDL
3-28-2024

Dr van Susante gave a webinar as part of the AIAA Space Resources Technical Committee's Space Resources Webinar Series. Watch the recording here

The Artemis Generation
3-11-2024

PSTDL was highlighted by Michigan Tech's Research Magazine

PSTDL advances to the final stage of NASA's Break the Ice challenge
12-6-2023

PSTDL is named one of six teams to advance to the final stage of NASA's Break the Ice Challenge

Dr van Susante Named to Lou and Herbert Wacker Professorship in Mechanical Engineering
11-20-2023
PSTDL advacnes to final stage of NASA's Watts on the Moon challenge
6-28-2023

PTSDL is among 4 groups that have been selected to move to the final stage of NASA's Watts on the Moon challenge.

How Are We Going to Power Our First Projects On the Moon?
4-24-2023

Dr. Paul van Susante appeared on the Cold Star Project.

PSTDL Awarded NASA 2022 STTR Phase I Grant
5-25-2022
PSTDL RedWater Article Featured in New Space Journal
5-12-2022

The PSTDL 'RedWater: Water Mining System for Mars' Article Featured in the New Space Journal of Space Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

PSTDL T-REX Project Featured in New Space Journal
5-12-2022

The PSTDL Watts on the Moon Challenge is Featured in the New Space Journal of Space Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

PSTDL Featured in MTU Research 2022
3-18-2022
PSTDL joining the Colorado School of Mines and Lunar Outpost on a NASA LuSTR 2021 Grant
2-18-2022

The Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab is working with the Colorado School of Mines and others (Lunar Outpost, Bechtel Corporation) to develop an autonomous vehicle for lunar landing pad site preparation as part of the newly announced NASA LuSTR 2021 grant. The PSTDL will develop a vibratory compaction device for the CSM-led program.

PSTDL Gains a PhD Student
1-10-2022

Elijah Cobb graduated with his Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science and decided to stay at the PSTDL during his Ph.D.

PSTDL Featured in Aerospace America
12-1-2021
Hiring a Undergraduate Research Assistant
9-20-2021
Student Engineers Build a Lunar Rover—and Win BIG.
8-18-2021

Michigan Tech creates video touring the PSTDL.

PSTDL wins award in NASA Break the Ice Challenge
8-18-2021

Team LIQUID including the PSTDL receives an award of $25,000 as a runner-up.

PSTDL Submits 'LIQUID' to NASA Break the Ice
6-18-2021

The PSTDL submitted a proposal to the NASA Break the Ice centennial challenge with the Lunar Ice QUest Innovative Design (LIQUID) rover design.

Dr. van Susante Presents T-REX at SRR/PTMSS 2021
6-11-2021
Dr. van Susante Presents the PSTDL at SRR/PTMSS 2021
6-10-2021
Dr. van Susante Presents LuSTR at SRR/PTMSS 2021
6-9-2021
PSTDL Wins NASA Watts on the Moon Challenge
5-20-2021

The PSTDL won the $100,000 grand prize for their proposed system of tethered rovers that unspool superconducting wire into the crater for delivering power from a power plant to a water extraction plant inside a crater.

Dr. van Susante Presents T-REX at LSIC 2021
5-12-2021

Dr. Paul van Susante presents the PSTDL's T-REX rover that won the NASA BIG Idea 2020 Competition at the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium 2021 conference.

PSTDL Gains a PhD Student
5-1-2021

Jason Noe has joined the PSTDL to work on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering under the direction of Dr. Paul van Susante.

PSTDL Gains a PhD Student
4-19-2021

Travis Wavrunek has joined the PSTDL to work on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering under the direction of Dr. Paul van Susante.

PSTDL Wins LuSTR Proposal
3-10-2021

The PSTDL at Michigan Technological University is one of six U.S. universities which have been selected by NASA for the LuSTR solicitation. The goal of LuSTR is to develop lunar-focused research, to bring about advancements in in-situ resource utilization and sustainable power solutions. The PSTDL will develop a percussive cone penetrometer to determine mechanical characteristics of lunar soil, and to prospect for water-ice and volatiles.

T-REX Wins NASA BIG Idea 2020
1-11-2021

The T-REX team received the Artemis Award from Director of NASA, Jim Bridenstine. The team won the Artemis award for presenting at the NASA BIG Idea 2020 conference.

PSTDL T-REX Team Presents at NASA BIG IDEA 2020
1-6-2021

The T-REX team presented at the BIG IDEA 2020 conference. Following their presentation, the T-REX team had a Q&A with NASA scientists and the public.

Podcast: Humanity and Beyond
10-30-2020

In this episode with special guest Paul van Susante, Assistant Professor at Michigan Tech University, we discussed many of the challenges that are unique to Mars for ISRU. Challenges such as...

Podcast: Cold Star Project
6-4-2020

Dr. Paul van Susante comes with the heritage of the Colorado School of Mines, but is a professor at Michigan Technological University. He is well-known in the Lunar and Mars construction & ISRU field, contributing to CLASS and as co-Investigator on several experiments...

PSTDL Team Selected to Compete in NASA BIG Idea 2020
2-14-2020

The PSTDL was awarded a grand to develop a small rover to lay lightweight, superconducting cable that tethers to a lander as it traverses craters in permanently shadowed regions. Once in its final destination, the rover acts as a recharging hub and communication relay for other robots working in the area, providing continuous power without requiring direct sunlight.

Breaking Rocks, Making Water: The Secret Formula for a Trip to Mars?
1-31-2018

Michigan Tech researchers have been awarded a NASA grant to study ways to extract water from gypsum rock on Mars, bringing a human trip to the red planet closer to reality.