SBIR Phase II: Portable Production Process for Icy Regoliths by Vapor Deposition

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的广泛影响/商业潜力将使目前无法获得此类材料的大量组织能够研究和开发类似于月球和其他世界上的冰层的模拟月球表面材料。制作逼真的冰层模拟物超出了大多数组织的能力范围，因为它们是通过复制自然形成过程产生的，也就是说，它们是在与月球极地极端寒冷、永久阴影区域内的环境相似的条件下产生的。利用冰川石块的资源潜力是人类在太空中持久存在的关键。这些材料的精确模拟对于发展研究、勘探和利用这种资源的技术是必要的。更多地接触到这些模拟器将增加学术界和产业界的合作伙伴关系，并通过更高的保真度测试实现更快的技术开发。这个SBIR第二阶段项目提供了一种依赖于地点的定制生产方法，以在学生、研究人员和工程师需要的地点大量生产冰层模拟物。目前，制作逼真的冰层模拟物的难度和成本阻碍了为降低风险和促进关键资源就地开采技术的发展而进行的高保真测试。这些模拟物必须通过在非常受控的条件下尽可能接近地在月球和其他星球上重新创造自然形成过程来生产。结冰的模拟物必须是定制的，而且可能含有危险气体，因此它们很昂贵，只能小批量缓慢生产。生产后的低温运输是昂贵、困难的，而且限于少量。该项目将生产可携带的新设备和生产方法。该解决方案还将使更现实和更完整的冰层模拟物的数量足够大，以便进行有效的研究和开发。该设备的设计将具有适应性，并有能力制造具有不同成分的各种物理形式的冰模拟器。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 II project will enable research and development on simulated moon surface materials that resemble the icy regolith on the Moon and other worlds by a large number of organizations that currently do not have access to such materials. Making realistic icy regolith simulants is beyond the reach of most organizations because they are produced by replicating the natural formation processes, that is they are produced under conditions that approximate the environment within the ultra-cold, permanently-shadowed areas in the polar regions of the Moon. Utilizing the resource potential of icy regoliths is a key to an enduring human presence in space. Accurate simulants of these materials are necessary to develop the technologies for studying, prospecting, and utilizing this resource. Greater access to these simulants will increase academia/industry partnerships and allow more rapid technology development through higher fidelity testing.This SBIR Phase II project provide a location-dependent, custom production method to produce icy regolith simulants in large enough quantities in locations where they are needed by students, researchers, and engineers. Currently, the difficulty and cost of making realistic icy regolith simulants is preventing the higher fidelity testing required to reduce the risk and facilitate the development of in situ extraction technologies for critical resources. These simulants must be produced by re-creating the natural formation processes on the Moon and other worlds as closely as possible under very controlled conditions. Icy simulants must be custom-made and can include hazardous gases so they are expensive and can only be produced slowly in small batches. Cryogenic shipment after production is expensive, difficult, and limited to small amounts. This project will produce new equipment and methods of production that are portable. The solution will also make more realistic and complete icy regolith simulants in quantities large enough for effective research and development to take place. The equipment will be designed to be adaptable and have the capacity to make various physical forms of icy simulants with differing ingredients.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.