SBIR Phase I: Electromechanical Mass Transfer System for Space Operations

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将是推进一种用于空间物流的新型机电平台，以促进月球表面和其他低重力环境的经济发展、技术和科学进步。在其他天体(例如火星)上，同样可以利用该平台，以最小的环绕式基础设施投资实现早期勘探和开发。SBIR项目的主题是机电传质系统；这将是第一个能够在利用离心力加速的低重力环境中实现经济高效传质的创新。该平台可以在不使用消耗性燃料或机载推进系统的情况下在空间中移动资源，从而释放出更具成本效益的空间作业。该项目的成功实施将使平台能够迅速提升TRL。全面的测试和验证过程将向潜在客户和利益相关者展示我们技术的能力，为其可靠性、准确性和效率提供切实证据。该平台的成功开发可以提供所需的机动性，以增强月球表面的强劲探索、科学和经济发展。由于其低质量和即插即用功能，该平台将比其他替代平台更经济。最终，该系统的目标是提供最便宜、最全面的物流服务，以催化前景广阔的月球市场。这个SBIR第一阶段项目将用一种新型的机电“抛掷”平台来解决在月球表面运输资源的相关技术挑战。该平台利用机电系统将有效载荷投放到月球表面，为月球表面物流和其他空间机动性问题提供了一种创新的解决方案。拟议研发的目标包括开发一种可靠、准确和节能的原型，并在地球上展示其可行性和能力。月球上的操作既复杂又昂贵，有了像拟议的平台这样的新技术，客户和其他利益相关者将寻求该平台将既可重复又准确的保证。系统的磨损、不同的环境影响(如可变的月球重力)以及内置的系统误差(如释放角度和速度的误差带)都可能导致故障，可能会使客户面临风险。这项工作的目的是通过具体的硬件改进来证明该平台可以安全和可重复地在月球表面部署资产。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to advance a novel electromechanical platform for in-space logistics to facilitate economic development, technical and scientific advancement on the lunar surface, and in other low gravity environments. On other celestial bodies (e.g. Mars), this platform can similarly be utilized to enable early exploration and development with minimal wraparound infrastructure investments. The subject of the SBIR project is an electromechanical mass transfer system; this will be the first such innovation that enables a cost-effective mass transfer in low gravity environments leveraging centrifugal acceleration. This platform can enable the movement of resources through space without the use of consumable fuels or on-board propulsion systems, unlocking more cost-effective space operations. The successful execution of this project will enable swift TRL raising of the platform. The comprehensive testing and validation process will demonstrate the capabilities of our technology to potential customers and stakeholders, providing tangible evidence of its reliability, accuracy, and efficiency. The successful development of the platform can provide the mobility required to empower robust exploration, science, and economic development on the surface of the Moon. This platform will be more economical than other alternatives due to its low mass and plug-and-play functionality. Ultimately, the system aims to provide the cheapest, most comprehensive logistics services that catalyze the promising lunar market. This SBIR Phase I Project will address the technical challenges associated with transporting resources across the lunar surface with a novel electromechanical "throwing" platform. The platform, which utilizes an electromechanical system to throw payloads across the lunar surface, offers an innovative solution for lunar surface logistics and other space-based mobility problems. The goals of the proposed R&D include developing a reliable, accurate, and energy-efficient prototype and demonstrating its feasibility and capabilities on Earth. Lunar operations are complex and expensive, and with novel technology such as the proposed platform, customers and other stakeholders will be looking for assurances that the platform will be both repeatable and accurate. Wear and tear on the system, varying environmental effects such as variable Lunar gravity, and built-in system inaccuracies such as error bands around release angle and velocity can cause a failure that could put customers at risk. The purpose of this effort is to demonstrate with specific hardware improvements that the platform can safely and repeatably deploy assets across the lunar surface.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.