Projects
NASA LuSTR 2020The PSTDL was a recipient of a 2020 NASA’s Lunar Surface Technology Research grant (LuSTR20) for the development of a lunar prospecting instrument known as the Percussive Hot Cone Penetrometer (PHCP) in combination with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). The goal of this project is to produce a science instrument that is capable of probing the lunar surface up to a depth of 1 meter to extract the geotechnical properties of the lunar regolith, identifying the vertical and lateral concentrations of volatiles present.
NASA T-REXNASA Breakthrough Innovative and Gamechanging (BIG) Idea Challenge 2020 – "Tethered permanently shaded Region EXplorer (T-REX)", (power and communication delivery into PSR)
NASA Watts on the MoonNASA Watts on the Moon Centennial Challenge (Providing power to water extraction plant in PSR 3km from power plant) – "Wired Watts where-ever, whenever you want – W^5"
NASA Break the IceThe latest centennial challenge from NASA that is designed to develop technologies aiding in the sustained presence on the Moon.
NASA ESIEarly Stage Innovation (water from rock gypsum on Mars) – "Low mass, low power, non-mechanical excavation of gypsum and other evaporites for water production on Mars"
NASA RedWaterNASA NextSTEP BAA ISRU track 3 (water from buried glaciers on Mars) – "RedWater : Extraction of Water from Mars' Ice Deposits" (subcontract from Honeybee Robotics who are principal investigator)
NASA GCD MREProvide a regolith feeder and transportation system for the MRE reactor
HOPLITEA modular robotic system that enables the field testing of ISRU technologies.
NASA CLASSNASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) – "CLASS (Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science)" (subcontract from University of Central Florida who are principal investigator)