In-Situ Robotics Granular Mechanics & Regolith Operations (GMRO) Lab March 12, 2012 Phil Metzger, Ph.D., Senior Scientist Rob Mueller, Senior Technologist Surface Systems Office NASA Kennedy Space Center

Concepts for a Planetary Outpost

Schematic representation of the scale of an Earth launch system for scenarios to land an Apollo-size mission on the Moon, assuming various refueling depots and an in- space reusable transportation system. Note: Apollo stage height is scaled by estimated mass reduction due to ISRU refueling Each Apollo mission utilized Earth-derived propellants (Saturn V liftoff mass = 2,962 tons) What if lunar lander was refueled on the Moon’s surface? 73% of Apollo mass (2,160 tons) Assume refueling at L1 and on Moon: 34% of mass (1,004 tons) Assume refueling at LEO, L1 and on Moon: 12% of mass (355 tons) +Reusable lander (268 tons) +Reusable upper stage & lander (119 tons) Propellant from the Moon will revolutionize our current space transportation approach Courtesy of Brad Blair, Colorado School of Mines

Pg. 4 ISRU Functions Regolith Excavation Regolith Transport Regolith Processing Product Storage Site Preparation (roads, pads, berms, etc.) Mission consumables Manufacturing feedstock Surface Construction Construction feedstock Oxygen & fuel for life support, fuel cells, & propulsion Hoppers & Ascent Vehicles Surface Mobility Assets Power Generation Habitats & Shelters Polar Volatile Extraction Manufacturing & Repair Resource & Site Characterization (Modified LSAM Cargo Lander) (Solar Array or Nuclear Reactor) Power Source Mobile Transport of Oxygen

ISRU is not Destination Specific Core Building Blocks Atmosphere & Volatile Collection & Separation Regolith Processing to Extract O 2, Si, Metals Water & Carbon Dioxide Processing Fine-grained Regolith Excavation & Refining Drilling Volatile Furnaces & Fluidized Beds 0-g & Surface Cryogenic Liquefaction, Storage, & Transfer In-Situ Manufacture of Parts & Solar Cells Possible Destinations Moon Mars & Phobos Near Earth Asteroids & Extinct Comets Titan Europa Common Resources Water Moon Mars Comets Asteroids Europa Titan Triton Human Habitats Carbon Mars (atm) Asteroids Comets Titan Human Habitats Helium-3 Moon Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Metals & Oxides Moon Mars Asteroids Core Technologies -Microchannel Adsorption -Constituent Freezing -Molecular Sieves -Water Electrolysis -CO 2 Electrolysis -Sabatier Reactor -RWGS Reactor -Methane Reformer -Microchannel Chem/thermal units -Scoopers/buckets -Conveyors/augers -No fluid drilling -O 2 & Fuel Low Heatleak Tanks (0-g & reduced-g) -O 2 Feed & Transfer Lines -O 2 /Fuel Couplings -Thermal/Microwave Heaters -Heat Exchangers -Liquid Vaporizers -Hydrogen Reduction -Carbothermal Reduction -Molten Oxide Electrolysis Common Resources & Processes Support Multiple Robotic/Human Mission Destinations

In-Situ Robotics Human Robotic Systems is a NASA technology development, looking to make humans in space (and on earth) more productive Key development areas: mobility, manipulation, human systems interaction Funded through NASA’s Game Changing Development Program within Space Technology

In-Situ Robotics Humans are more productive through the use of robots and human-robot teaming For this to work, the robots must be safe Developing safe robotics will have applications on earth Laying out roles is critical in human-robot teams Development in computing, sensing, batteries, algorithms, common tools that make this a good time for robotics to flourish

In-Situ Robotics Robots and human-robot teams needed across all phases of missions Preceding crew arrival Scouting; finding high value targets; ISRU Working with humans during a mission Apprentice role (dull, dangerous and dirty) Mobility; riding on, moving cargo, infrastructure After crew departure Preparation for next crew mission; moving assets, setting up infrastructure Performing exploration

In-Situ Robotics How robots are controlled varies on mission phase and operation mode Supervised from ground under time delay Direct crew interaction Riding on Working shoulder-to-shoulder In-direct crew interaction through teleoperation

HRS Approach HRS develops and matures prototype systems, subsystems, and component technologies in advance of key agency decision points Target TRL 5-6 prior to program infusion Orbital, asteroid, surface Re-use existing robots though… Improving functionality/fidelity of hardware and software Using in new or novel ways Build selective new robots

HRS Approach Work with human exploration architecture communities Build prototypes to answer open architecture questions being debated Build prototypes that that extend the thinking of the architecture community Leverage outside resources Past HRS development Other NASA robotics development Commercial partnerships Space Act Agreements Other agencies SBIR University research National Robotics Initiative

Current Product Lines 12 Extreme Terrain Mobility (Mobility) Robonaut 2 technologies (Manipulation) Robotic Asteroid Mission Technologies (Manipulation) ISRU Resource Acquisition (Manipulation) Controlling Robots over Time Delay (Human Systems Interaction)

Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Laboratory projects Vibratory Impacting Percussive Excavator for Regolith (VIPER) Testing in Icy Regolith Simulant Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) with Gravity Offload System Portable Launch/Landing Pad and Hazard Field for Morpheus Rocket Exhaust Analysis for Preservation of Apollo Landing Sites NIAC-funded In-Space Propulsion from Planetary Resources Quick Attach Umbilical for JSC’s Chariot

RESOLVE Prospecting Mission Prototype (Applied Chemistry Lab)

Lance Blade on Chariot Rover 22

Lance Blade on SEV

Centaur Excavator

Small Platform Excavation Devices

ISRU Field Testing In Hawaii PILOT & Bucket-drum Excavator The evolution of lunar water PILOT: Precursor ISRU Lunar Oxygen Testbed

Site Preparation Hardware & Operations 20 Solar Concentrator w/ XYZ Table Solar Sintering & Sintered Pad Multi-Agent Teaming – 3 Rovers w/ Blades TriDAR for Rover Tracking Resistive Sintering Device Sintered Pad During Thruster Firing Sintered Pad Before Pad After Thruster Firing

ISRU Product and Utilization Hardware & Operations: “Dust to Thrust” 21 Fuel Cell Liquid Oxygen & Methane Cart Hydride Hydrogen Storage Water Electrolysis Unit Water Produced by Fuel Cell LO 2 /CH 4 Thruster