Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2022 - 41

To deploy LunaGrid's power transmission lines, Astrobotic
will employ its fleet of rovers, including Astrobotic's smaller CubeRover,
larger Polaris rover, and the VSAT LIT trailer itself. The
company is currently developing and testing advanced cable
stowage, deployment, and management systems, such as spools
and guides for integration onto these rovers. These systems are
designed to deploy the cable as the rover drives to avoid dragging
or snagging the cable on the abrasive lunar terrain.
The smallest of these rovers, CubeRover, will provide " last
mile " - or in this case, last 100 meters - power delivery, driving
up to and transferring power to customer assets via wireless
chargers. Wireless chargers are preferred because they do not
require exact alignment, are immune to regolith-induced wear
and tear and can be more easily integrated into existing landers
and spacecraft. Astrobotic has developed the first such wireless
chargers for the lunar surface and has already begun selling
them to NASA and commercial customers.
For the first generation of LunaGrid, a VSAT will be integrated
on a single Astrobotic lunar lander and launched to the
Moon on a single rocket. Upon landing, the VSAT will egress
from the lander, traverse to its operating site, deploy its power
transmission cable along the way, and begin generating solar
power. Power can then be transferred between the VSAT and
lander - the first two nodes in the lunar power grid - and to
customer assets via tethered CubeRovers with wireless chargers.
Astrobotic plans to begin deploying and demonstrating LunaGrid
elements as early as 2026 with the goal of commissioning
the first seeds of LunaGrid as early as 2028 at the lunar
south pole.
CubeRover approaches VSAT to recharge using Astrobotic's wireless
charging system. (Image: Astrobotic)
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This article was written by Dr. Thomas Oberst, Director of
Proposal Development, Astrobotic (Pittsburgh, PA). For more
information, visit www.astrobotic.com.
Please visit www.techbriefs.com/webinar349
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Tech Briefs Magazine - December 2022

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