SBIR Phase I: High Power Microwave Robot for Industrial Extra-Terrestrial Resource Extraction

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to create a viable microwave device for material processing on the Moon and other planetary bodies. The innovation may reduce the effort required to extract ice volatiles from inside solid materials by 2-3 times compared to current lunar excavation methods and could be used without preconditioning. Lunar extraction may reduce the cost of obtaining essential materials on the surface of the Moon by an order of magnitude, compared to supply from the Earth. Such a technology will have two key societal impacts. First, as human populations continue to expand, critical resources on Earth are becoming increasingly scarce and having another extra-terrestrial source may provide the resources needed on Earth. Second, the development of a space resource-use ecosystem may catalyze technical education, interest, and economic development in addition to fueling continued Gross National Product (GDP) growth. Accessing water cheaply in the lunar and near-Earth environment to produce mission-critical water, hydrogen, and oxygen, is essential for this outcome. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to design a high-power Bessel beam microwave projector for installation onto an autonomous robot, for the preconditioning or softening of materials by supplying impulses of energy at high rates. The innovation distinguishes itself due to the ability to focus high density energy from a stand-off distance. The research involves the investigation of the subcomponents of the system to address expected capabilities which include: the ability to project a “pencil beam” from a stand-off distance using a multi-reflector assembly, tolerance of the surface properties of the materials being treated, and electronic steering of the projected beam using phase shifting to improve focus. The research will start with simulations to lay the foundations for an autonomous and mobile microwave system with the listed capabilities. The project will develop, using simulation, the Bessel beam platform, perform the initial robotic designs, and source system integrators for the microwave and robotic components needed for subsequent development phases. Specifically, this system would be used in space mining applications towards the retrieval of ice volatiles such as water, methane, carbon monoxide and dioxide, and ammonia, that are found in cold shadowed craters at the lunar poles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.