March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

www.nasa.gov

NASA Flight Opportunities

Session will start at 10 a.m. PT – Please mute your microphone and turn off your camera

Community of Practice Webinar Series – March 2, 2022

Kris Zacny, Ph.D., Vice President of Exploration Systems, Honeybee Robotics

Luke Sanasarian, Engineering Lead, Honeybee Robotics

Reuben Garcia, Director of Technical Operations, Masten Space Systems 

Testing Lunar Landing and Surface Sampling Technologies Suborbitally

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

Welcome to the Community of Practice Webinar Series!

First, a bit of housekeeping...

• Please mute your microphone and turn off your camera

• Today’s session will be recorded

• Recordings for all future sessions are on the Flight Opportunities website

• Please engage!

• Use the chat throughout the session to ask questions

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

Flight Opportunities Mission

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The Flight Opportunities program facilitates rapid 

demonstration of promising technologies for 

space exploration, discovery, and the expansion 

of space commerce through suborbital testing 

with industry flight providers.

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

Join us for future Community of Practice webinars!

From Suborbital Flight to the 

International Space Station

Wednesday, April 6th at 10 am PT

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Future webinars

• Webinars are held 1st Wednesday of each 

month at 10 a.m. PT

• Topics will be announced in the Flight 

Opportunities newsletter and website

• Session recordings will be posted on the 

Flight Opportunities website

• Let us know session topics you would like 

to see covered

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

NASA TechLeap Prize

Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge No.1 

Seeking proposals for sensing systems that can detect hazards from an 

altitude of 250 meters or higher and process the data in real time to help 

spacecraft land safely in the dark

• Open to researchers from qualified commercial businesses and academic 

institutions, as well as individual entrepreneurs and other innovators

• Up to three winners may receive awards of up to $650,000 and access to a 

suborbital flight test

• Key Dates

• Q&A on April 12, 2022

• Register by May 5, 2022

• Applications due May 19, 2022

• https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/features/techleap-lunar-landings.html

• https://www.precisionlanding1.nasatechleap.org/

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

Today’s Speakers

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Kris Zacny, Ph.D. 

Vice President of Exploration Systems 

Honeybee Robotics 

Reuben Garcia

Director of Technical Operations 

Masten Space Systems

Luke Sanasarian

Engineering Lead

Honeybee Robotics

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Honeybee Robotics

2408 Lincoln Avenue

Altadena, CA 91001

www.HoneybeeRobotics.com

Masten Xodiac & PlanetVac

Suborbital Test Flights

March 2, 2022

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What is PlanetVac?

PlanetVac is a 

technology developed by 

Honeybee Robotics that 

uses stored gas to 

pneumatically collect 

surface regolith from a 

planetary body.

Compressed 

Gas In

Compressed 

Gas In

Pneumatically 

Conveyed 

Material Out

Planetary Surface Regolith

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Why PlanetVac?

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Parameters Robotic arm and scoop PlanetVac

Mass, Volume, Power High Low

Cost, Complexity High Low

Sampling time Hours – Days Seconds

Relies on gravity Yes No

Can easily meter out? No Yes

Kinematic flexibility No Yes

Ability to sample >1 location Yes No

Sample size High Small

PlanetVac adds another tool in the planetary sampling toolbox

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PlanetVac Heritage

CLPS

NASA RASC-AL

First experiments

2018

2002

2004 2016

2006 2013

Declined

SBIR Ph1

SBIR Ph2

2008

PlanetVac 

(TPS)

2017

CAESAR

NF missions Dragonfly

VISAGE

MMX

Masten 

(SpaceTech)

2019

2020

Masten 

(SpaceTech)

Flight programs

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Test Campaign Background

Through NASA’s Flight Opportunities and REDDI programs, Honeybee Robotics 

was able to fly an iteration of PlanetVac mounted as the foot of the Masten Space 

Systems Xodiac Suborbital Vehicle

This was PlanetVac’s second test campaign on-board Xodiac 

PlanetVac on Masten Xodiac Vehicle during 

flight and right before landing

Photo Credit: Masten Space Systems

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Test Configuration

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

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Integrating Onto PlanetVac

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Test Campaign Goals

Goals: Increase TRL of PlanetVac system by performing tests in more representative and 

conservative environments relative to future flight deployments than previous Masten PlanetVac 

flights. Begin to understand the impact of testing on Earth vs a planetary body.

PlanetVac Was Tested In A Conservative Way:

Atmospheric 

Pressure Gravity Elevation Gain Compaction Pneumatic Line Length

Supply 

Pressure

Earth 

Atmosphere Earth Gravity ~3 meters Varies ~5 meters

220 psig

regulated 

line pressure

Conservative 

to Lunar 

Baseline

Conservative 

to Lunar 

Baseline

Conservative 

to Lunar 

Baseline

Comparable 

to Lunar 

Baseline

Conservative 

to Lunar 

Baseline

Conservative 

to Lunar 

Baseline

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Test Images

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1. General Setup

2. Test 3 Pre-Pneumatic Pulse

3. Plume Scouring

4. 224 gram post-test fill

1 2

3

4

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Test Videos (2018 Deployment)

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

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Test Results

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Test 

#

Environment / 

Flight Pattern

Penetration Resistance 

@5cm depth Before / 

After Test

Pulse 

Parameters Sample Collected Notes

0

Ground demo 

on vehicle Uncompacted*

220 psig;

5 seconds 90 grams No Flight

1 High stands 

tether Extreme compaction* 220 psig;5 seconds 0.7 grams Unmeasured High Compaction larger than lunar condition

2 High Stands 

Tether

Before Flight: 145 kPa

Post Flight: 195 kPa

220 psig;

20 seconds 190.3 grams Regolith pit scoured by incoming 

plume

3 High Stands 

Tether

Before Flight: 130 kPa

Post Flight: 166 kPa

220 psig;

20 seconds 224.2 grams Regolith pit blocked off from incoming plume

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Ground to 

Ground

Before Flight: 290 kPa

Post Flight: 625 kPa

220 psig;

20 seconds 65.0 grams High compaction test

5 Ground Demo 160 kPa 220 psig;

20 seconds 11.1 grams

Placed onto uneven footing after 

scrubbed ground to ground 

attempt

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Test Results

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Pre-Test Post-Test

Increased 

Compaction = 

Decreased Sample 

Fill

Collected sample 

particle size 

distribution similar to 

random sample of 

simulant

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NASA Flight Opportunities and REDDI Program.

This work was conducted by Honeybee Robotics in conjunction with Masten Space Systems 

(flight provider) and Texas A&M University (CFD Support).

Special thanks to Masten Space Systems for providing the flights and Texas A&M for CFD 

support. 

Photos are credited to Honeybee Robotics and Masten Space Systems unless otherwise 

specified.

References

[1] Zacny, K. et al. (2014) IEE, 3-7 March 2014, Big Sky MT

[2] Zacny. et al. (2020) IEEE. 7-14 March 2020, Big Sky, MT

[3] Spring, J. et al. (2019) IEEE, 2-9 March 2019, Big Sky, MT

[4] Zacny, K. D. et al. (2010) IEEE, 7-12 March 2010, Big Sky, MT

[5] Heiken, G., Vaniman, D., & French, B. M. (1991). Lunar sourcebook: A user's guide to

the moon. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

11

Retiring Risk with Masten’s 

Terrestrial Rocket Testbed

Reuben Garcia | Masten Space Systems

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THE SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE COMPANY

MASTEN OVERVIEW 1st

Commercial company to deploy 

reusable vertical takeoff and 

vertical landing (VTVL) rockets

600+

Successful rocket-powered 

landings across 5 rockets, leading

the industry in number of flights

1of4 Companies selected by NASA to

deliver payloads to the Moon

17+

Years' experience building & 

flying rockets to prepare for lunar 

and Martian missions

To develop new additive 

manufacturing methods for

rockets & liquid propulsion

1st

Independent rocket testbed,

which validated the landing 

technology for the successful

2020 mission to Mars

In 2004, Masten pioneered the development of 

reusable VTVL technology with the ultimate goal 

of unlocking the value of space.

We’re enabling a future where...

Lunar landings are commonplace

Space ecosystems are thriving with 

commercial leadership

Humankind is benefiting from resources 

extracted across the solar system

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1st

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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Terrestrial Testbed

Tech Development

Lunar Delivery

Developing new tech to solve 

the most pressing space 

exploration challenges. 

Testing technologies aboard 

our terrestrial landers & engine 

stands to advance readiness 

for space.

Providing end-to-end mission 

solutions to safely deliver and 

operate payloads aboard our 

lunar landers.

Xelene XL-2 Xeus

3D-printed 

rocket parts Landing pad 

technologies

Propulsion 

technologies

Lander warming 

systems

Rocket mining 

system

Lunar “GPS” 

network

Xombie Xoie Xaero-A Xaero-B Xodiac Xogdor

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ACCELERATING SPACE ECOSYSTEMS ON THE MOON, MARS & BEYOND

MASTEN SOLUTIONS

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RETIRING RISK WITH EARTH-BASED TESTING

TERRESTRIAL TESTBED

JPL Lander Vision System & GFOLD algorithm on XombieHoneybee Robotics’ PlanetVac 

on Xodiac

UCF Ejecta STORM instrument 

on Xodiac

Entry, Descent, and 

Landing Tests

Suborbital Payload 

Testing

Plume Surface 

Interaction Testing

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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WORKING WITH MASTEN TO ADVANCE TECH READINESS 

TERRESTRIAL TESTBED

Closed-loop 

tether flights

Open-loop free 

flights

Data analysis 

& iteration 

Technology 

integration

Technical specs & 

ConOps discussions

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FOR MORE:

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www.masten.aero

moon@masten.aero

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March 2, 2022 Community of Practice Webinar Series

NASA Flight Opportunities

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/flightopportunities/community-of-practice

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NASA FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES

27 www.nasa.gov

Thank you! 

Flight Opportunities website: 

http://nasa.gov/flightopportunities

Contact us:

NASA-FlightOpportunities@mail.nasa.gov

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