Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility & Surface

Infrastructure Power Technologies

 

A NEW PARTNERING OPPORTUNITY

Reference No: 80JSC023EHP_PPD

Purpose:

The NASA Power and Propulsion Division (PPD) in support of the Extravehicular 

Activity (EVA) and Human Surface Mobility (HSM) Program (EHP), seeks to work with 

partners to advance the power generation, distribution, and storage technologies 

associated with human mobility and lunar surface infrastructure in support of NASA’s 

Artemis missions and industrial presence on the moon. The EHP vision is to provide 

safe, reliable, and effective EVA, HSM, and infrastructure capabilities that allow 

astronauts to survive and work outside the confines of a spacecraft on and around the 

Moon and support the growth of Industry. Artemis missions will return humans to the 

surface of the Moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface 

than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and 

establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on 

and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

The PPD and partners will collaborate on developing lunar capabilities to increase power 

technology readiness allowing crew to accomplish more during Artemis missions and 

establish the groundwork for the Lunar Surface Power Infrastructure. Focus will be on

high-risk technologies such as energy storage-batteries and regenerative fuel cells (RFC), 

and reliable power distribution & management. In pursuing these types of capabilities, 

NASA and potential partners will develop new and improved technologies that will 

provide additional options for terrestrial applications in multiple industries.

Technology:

Technology goals include, but are not limited to: cable deployment equipment, low mass 

transformers (>60 Hz), lightweight electrical switchgear and circuit protection, dust

mitigation capabilities, high voltage and low temperature long distance cables and 

corresponding connectors, low temperature battery modules, increased battery capacity 

and reduced charge time, radiation hardened power electronics, regenerative fuel cells, 

and advanced power generation, distribution, and storage concepts capable of sustained 

operation while minimizing maintenance in a lunar environment for an extended service 

period. Technology will be required to operate in the extreme environment of cis-lunar 

orbit and/or the lunar south pole, including inside Permanently Shadowed Regions 

(PSRs) and onto Mars.

Intellectual Property (IP):

This potential Partnership may produce new IP that could be jointly owned by NASA and 

the partner or may become the property of the partner. Standard clauses for partnership 

agreements are provided in the appendices of the Space Act Agreements Guide, NAII 

1050-1. These standard clauses are usually used without any changes. Any deviations 

from the standard intellectual property clauses are reviewed by NASA Office of the 

General Counsel at the Headquarters and/or Center-level, as appropriate and approved by 

NASA Partnerships Office.

Potential Commercial Applications:
Lunar, undersea, automotive, nuclear, space tourism, security.

Keywords:

Mobility, spacesuit, rover, vehicle, power infrastructure, power architecture, power 

generation, solar array, power distribution, energy storage, battery, regenerative fuel 

cells, radiation, power electronics, radiation hardened, cable, connector, transformer, 

switchgear, sustainable, dust, regolith, lunar terrain vehicle, Lunar Terrain Vehicle 

(LTV), pressurized rover (PR), lunar, Artemis, moon, International Space Station (ISS), 

Lower Earth Orbit (LEO).