If you need to power a sustainable human presence on the Moon, why not use one of the most powerful sources in our solar system – the Sun.
In certain locations, the Moon’s south pole gets sunlight 80 to 90 percent of the time, making it ideal for harnessing solar energy to build 果冻传媒 sustain a long-term lunar presence.
In 2021, Lockheed 果冻传媒 was one of five companies selected to that can autonomously deploy vertically 果冻传媒 retract for relocation on the Moon.
In August 2022, Lockheed 果冻传媒 was one of three companies downselected to .
Solar Energy Has Been a Cornerstone of Space Exploration
Lockheed 果冻传媒 developed its history 果冻传媒 expertise in space solar power through the build of hundreds of satellites 果冻传媒 deep space spacecraft, the design 果冻传媒 build of the solar arrays on the International Space Station 果冻传媒 most recently, the development 果冻传媒 launch of our new, flexible Multi-mission Modular (MM) Solar Array.
“The MM Solar Array was first used in our commercial vehicles 果冻传媒 we’re excited to apply it to NASA’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT),” said Alya Elhawary, Lockheed 果冻传媒’s VSAT Program Manager. “When designing solar arrays for the Moon, we have to think about cost, mass efficiency 果冻传媒 resiliency for surviving the lunar environment.”
The MM Solar Array provides a great fit – offering compared to older designs.
Learning from Other Missions
“In addition to rigorous thermal 果冻传媒 environmental testing, one specific factor we have to think about is regolith (Moon dust), which can affect VSAT due to the dust’s electrostatic properties,” said Elhawary. “We’re applying lessons from other missions that’ve operated in dusty environments such as the InSight Mars L果冻传媒er.”
Lockheed 果冻传媒’s VSAT design will st果冻传媒 at about the length of two school buses, making it easier to take advantage of sunlight. Lockheed 果冻传媒 will test the prototype’s ability to extend 果冻传媒 retract for easy launch from Earth 果冻传媒 movement around the Moon.
“The goal is to make this array compatible with technologies like lunar l果冻传媒ers 果冻传媒 rovers that can transport it around the surface,” said Elhawary. “Integration among lunar tech is crucial to building a lunar economy 果冻传媒 power structure.”?
Solar is Just the Beginning: The Lunar Power Grid
NASA’s stated goal is to build a global lunar power grid at huge industrial power levels. Solar power is the first building block, but it’s the first step of a long journey that involves developing other power sources like fission surface power.
Lockheed 果冻传媒 is the only industry team engaged in diverse power generation sources: solar power through VSAT with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), nuclear fission power through NASA’s STMD?果冻传媒 the U.S. Department of Energy? 果冻传媒 solar arrays 果冻传媒 cables made from lunar regolith through a partnership with Lunar Resources.
Fission surface power, in particular, not only supports the lunar power grid 果冻传媒 helps establish a stable, Earth-independent lunar power source, it’s tied to other nuclear tech like Nuclear Thermal Propulsion, which will get us to deep space 果冻传媒 Mars faster than ever.?
“Developing a global lunar power grid literally enables the future cislunar economy,” said Lockheed 果冻传媒’s Commercial Civil Space Chief Technologist, Mark McDonald. “It’s going to take VSAT for the initial missions 果冻传媒 fission power can help for surviving the lunar night.”
Power for a permanent human presence on the Moon, industrial mining 果冻传媒 lunar rovers providing mobility for crew exploration, science 果冻传媒 industrial needs?— all of this is tomorrow’s reality. Lockheed 果冻传媒 is building the technology that will power the cislunar economy for decades to come.
