80NSSC24PB267

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I

Extra Large Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT-XL)

As the pace and scale of lunar exploration grows over the next decade, generating, storing, and transmitting power to lunar surface assets will be a critical infrastructure need for a future permanent lunar settlement. There is no existing lunar surface power generation and transmission solution that can satisfy the next generation of power needs at the 50 kW scale and above. Therefore, Astrobotic proposes the VSAT-XL as a SWAP-efficient power solution to address this demand. Astrobotic defines its VSAT product line as a deployable, relocatable, self-leveling, sun-tracking solar powered system. We are developing both static and mobile variants of the VSAT. Therefore, the VSAT-XL will be designed to be integrated with landers and rovers and will be grounded in Astrobotic and Redwire's mature power systems. This system incorporates engineering solutions developed from Astrobotic's lunar landers, Astrobotic's rovers, Redwire's Mega Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA), and most importantly, Astrobotic's state-of-the-art 10 kW VSAT system. We envision VSAT-XL to be a continuation of the 10 kW lunar VSAT Astrobotic is currently developing. The VSAT-XL increases the scale from 10 kW to 50 kW power output by physically linking multiple ROSAs to each other into a Mega-ROSA mounted on a leveling and pointing gimbal mechanism. The resulting system could be used to power surface-based systems like pressurized rovers, habitats, and future in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) pilot plants. The VSAT-XL is inherently scalable to power outputs well above 50 kW by linking multiple VSAT-XLs together. The VSAT-XL can be either stationary (e.g. lander-integrated) or integrated to a mobile base. The mobile base is capable of traveling autonomously to new lunar sites, thus mitigating dependency on an external rover for its placement.

The goal of phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of proposed R&D efforts and determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization.

H5

24H5011018

SBIR-2024-Phase 1

Nasa Sbir Support Office