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

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力旨在为月球和其他行星上的材料处理创造一种可行的微波设备。与目前的月球挖掘方法相比，这项创新可能会将从固体材料内部提取冰挥发物所需的工作量减少2-3倍，并且可以在没有预处理的情况下使用。与从地球获得供应相比，月球开采可能会将在月球表面获得必要材料的成本降低一个数量级。这样的技术将产生两个关键的社会影响。首先，随着人类人口的持续增长，地球上的关键资源正变得越来越稀缺，拥有另一个外星来源可能会提供地球上所需的资源。其次，空间资源利用生态系统的发展除了推动国民生产总值(GDP)的持续增长外，还可能促进技术教育、兴趣和经济发展。在月球和近地环境中廉价获取水以生产关键任务的水、氢和氧气，对这一结果至关重要。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在设计一种高功率贝塞尔波束微波投影仪，用于安装在自主机器人上，通过以高速率提供能量脉冲来对材料进行预处理或软化。这项创新之所以与众不同，是因为它能够在一定距离内聚焦高密度能量。这项研究涉及对系统的子部件进行调查，以满足预期的能力，其中包括：使用多反射镜组件从远处投射“铅笔束”的能力，对被处理材料表面属性的容忍度，以及使用相移来改善焦点的投射光束的电子转向。这项研究将从模拟开始，为具有所列能力的自主和移动微波系统奠定基础。该项目将利用模拟开发贝塞尔波束平台，执行初始机器人设计，并为后续开发阶段所需的微波和机器人部件提供源系统集成商。具体地说，该系统将用于空间采矿应用，以提取月球极地冷阴影陨石坑中发现的冰挥发性物质，如水、甲烷、一氧化碳和二氧化碳，以及氨。这一奖励反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定任务，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 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.