NASA selects three companies to further advance work on vertical solar arrays for Moon

NASA has selected Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, Honeybee Robotics of Brooklyn and Lockheed Martin of Littleton to further advance work on deployable solar array systems that will help power its human and robotic exploration of the Moon under the Artemis program.

NASA plans to return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence near the lunar South Pole through a series of increasingly complex Artemis missions. To help provide a reliable and sustainable power to support lunar habitats, rovers, and even construction systems for future missions, the agency is supporting the development of vertical solar arrays that can autonomously deploy up to 32 feet high and retract for relocation, if needed.

The agency will award a total of $19.4 million to three companies to build prototypes and perform environmental testing, with the ultimate goal of deploying one of the solar array systems on the Moon's South Pole near the end of this decade.

Awards

• Astrobotic Technology - $6.2 million
• Honeybee Robotics - $7 million
• Lockheed Martin - $6.2 million

"We are very excited to be able to select these three teams as they all bring very different technological solutions as well as unique visions for how commercial space can support a sustained presence on the Moon," said Chuck Taylor, Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) project manager at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

According to NASA, vertical solar arrays will help prevent loss of power at the lunar poles where the Sun does not rise very far above the horizon. When the Sun is low on the horizon, the lunar terrain can block some of its light, keeping it from reaching solar arrays that are low to the ground. By placing the solar arrays on tall masts, these new designs allow for uninterrupted light and therefore produce more power.