NASA Developing Sustainable Solar Power Sources for the Moon; Will Support Lunar Rovers, Missions by Decade-End

In a bid to establish artificial power sources on the Moon, American space agency NASA is working with several commercial companies in order to design vertically deployable solar array systems. Once deployed, this reliable, sustainable power source would support lunar habitats, rovers, and even construction systems for future robotic and crewed missions. These solar array systems will be autonomously deployable up to 32 feet high, and retractable for relocation if necessary. The designs will also be created in a way that ensures the systems remain stable on steep terrain, be resistant to abrasive lunar dust, and minimise both mass and packaged volume to aid in the system’s delivery to the lunar surface, as per the NASA statement. These vertically deployable systems will differ from the existing space-rated solar array structures and deployment systems, which are designed for horizontal surface deployment or microgravity usage. This is quite intentional, as the vertical position and the height of the energy source will help prevent loss of power at the lunar poles, where the Sun does not rise very far above the horizon. When low-angled sunlight hits rocky formations like hills and slopes near the lunar poles, it casts a shadow over the surface—shadows that can block horizontally structured solar arrays from obtaining light. A tall, vertical solar power structure, however, would increase the likelihood of getting uninterrupted light. Therefore, these solar power designs could help enable continuous power for habitats and operations, even in areas shaded by rocky features.

According to Chuck Taylor, who is leading vertical solar array development at NASA’s Langley Research Centre, exploring ways to make solar arrays more efficient when they encounter lunar shading is also driving possible applications on Earth. Therefore, home and business owners could end up benefiting from adapted designs, which increase the efficiency of rooftop solar arrays that are occasionally shaded due to trees or tall buildings.

Meanwhile, this power source technology will be a part of the Artemis program, wherein NASA will land the first woman and next man on the Moon by the year 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. This will not only establish humankind’s sustainable presence at the lunar South Pole, but also pave the way for sustainable exploration by the end of the decade.

NASA has selected five companies for base period contracts to complete their vertical solar array designs and conduct analysis. These include Astrobotic Technology, ATK Space Systems (Northrop Grumman), Honeybee Robotics, Lockheed Martin, and Space Systems Loral (Maxar Technologies).

“We are thrilled with the proposals received and even more excited to see the designs that result from the base effort,” said Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). “Having reliable power sources on the Moon is key to almost anything we do on the surface. By working with five different companies to design these prototype systems, we are effectively mitigating the risk that is inherent to developing such cutting-edge technologies.”

All five companies will submit their system designs, analysis, and data at the end of the 12-month fixed-price base contracts, valued at up to $700,000 each. NASA will then select up to two companies and provide them with additional funding of up to $7.5 million each to build prototypes and perform environmental testing.

The ultimate goal of this partnership will be to deploy one of the systems on the Moon’s South Pole near the end of this decade.