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Honeybee Robotics, LTD.

$108.3M obligated·69 awards·4 agencies·9 NAICS

Federal Contracts

Showing contracts 51100 of 161 total. Sorted by action date, most recent first. Excludes $0 modifications.

DateAgencyPIIDNAICSDescriptionAmount
Sep 2, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$906K
Aug 25, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0241541715EXTRA-VEHICULAR ACTIVITY CREW DEPLOYED CORING AND.SEALING SYSTEMS$1.3M
Aug 24, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0067541715DEVELOPING ROBOTIC INTERFACES FOR TRANSLATION, MANIPULATION AND.CHARGING FOR THE NASA GATEWAY PROGRAM$40K
Aug 11, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80MSFC20C0007541715THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSFERRING REGOLITH FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE TO INSTRUMENTS AND SAMPLE RETURN CONTAINERS$2.2M
Jul 31, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC20C0115541330THE SAMPLE ACQUISITION AT MARS (SAM) SUITE INVESTIGATION WILL CAST A WIDE ANALYTICAL NET TO CAPTURE CHEMICAL INDICATORS OF THE HABITABILITY OF MARS. SAM WILL "FIND THE CARBON" REVEALING THEIR LIKELY SOURCE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL PROCESSES.$350K
Jul 9, 2020Department of DefenseDEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCYHR001120C0143541715DISRUPTIVE CAPABILITIES FUTURE WARFARE$462K
Jun 22, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC20C0026541715KARLE SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEM$389K
Jun 11, 2020Department of Homeland SecuritySCI TECH ACQ DIV70RSAT20CB0000012541715BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) CONTRACT FOR ROBOTIC STEREOSCOPIC SYSTEM$888K
May 14, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0006541715ONE-METER CLASS DRILLING FOR PLANETARY EXPLORATION$203K
May 11, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0067541715DEVELOPING ROBOTIC INTERFACES FOR TRANSLATION, MANIPULATION AND.CHARGING FOR THE NASA GATEWAY PROGRAM$50K
May 6, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$2.9M
Apr 15, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$97K
Apr 9, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER80LARC20P0018541715THE ASSEMBLERS PROJECT WILL TRANSFORM IN-SPACE ASSEMBLY (ISA) EFFORTS BY APPLYING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN MACHINE LEARNING, CONTROL THEORY, AND STATE ESTIMATION TO EXPAND CONCEPTS PIONEERED BY NASA.$150K
Mar 16, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$723K
Mar 16, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$137K
Mar 2, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0014541715ROBOTIC ISRU CONSTRUCTION OF PLANETARY LANDING AND LAUNCH PAD$501K
Jan 15, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC20C0026541715KARLE SAMPLE HANDLING SYSTEM$362K
Jan 13, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA HEADQUARTERS80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$901K
Jan 6, 2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$200K
Dec 9, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20P0259541715HONEYBEE CONTRACT - EMILI$199K
Dec 6, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20P0172334511HONEYBEE ROBOTICS LAUNCH LOCK VERIFICATION ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING.$186K
Nov 27, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$200K
Nov 19, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80MSFC20C0007541715THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSFERRING REGOLITH FROM THE LUNAR SURFACE TO INSTRUMENTS AND SAMPLE RETURN CONTAINERS$611K
Nov 4, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20P0127335312MOSAIC HONEYBEE - ENGINEERING - (4) MOTORS$88K
Oct 30, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$200K
Oct 24, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC20C0006541715ONE-METER CLASS DRILLING FOR PLANETARY EXPLORATION$2.0M
Sep 25, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA HEADQUARTERS80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$562K
Sep 12, 2019Department of DefenseW6QK ACC-APG ADELPHIW911QX19F0047334516ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES, PARTS FOR A-DCP SYSTEM, AND TEST/REPAIR SERVICES.$13K
Sep 10, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC19C0629541715PNEUMATIC SAMPLER (P-SAMPLER) JAXA MARTIAN MOONS EXPLORATION (MMX) MISSION$500K
Aug 30, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERNNG15CR63C541330IGF::CT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS FOR ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM HONEYBEE ROBOTICS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR THE SAM/SMS DURING NOMINAL OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, ANOMALOUS OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, AND FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND END-OF-LIFE ANALYSIS DURING THE MSL EXTENDED MISSION.$484K
Aug 13, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA AMES RESEARCH CENTERNNA16BD69C541712IGF::OT::IGF SBIR PHASE III - ATACAMA ROVER ASTROBIOLOGY DRILLING STUDIES (ARADS) PROJECT$52K
Aug 8, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC19C0061541715MARTIAN MOONS EXPLORATION (MMX) P-SAMPLER$350K
Jul 31, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0044334519HONEYBEE ROBOTICS COLLABORATIVE ACCEPTANCE AND DISTRIBUTION FOR MEASURING EUROPAN SAMPLES (CADMES) SYSTEM$700K
Jul 19, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA HEADQUARTERS80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$168K
Jul 19, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA HEADQUARTERS80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$375K
May 23, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC19C0028541715OCEAN WORLDS AND MARS ARE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO ASTROBIOLOGY SINCE THEY COULD OFFER CLUES IN THE QUEST TO DISCOVER LIFE BEYOND OUR HOME PLANET. EUROPA HAS BEEN A PRIMARY TARGET IN THE SEARCH FOR PAST OR PRESENT LIFE BECAUSE IT IS STILL GEOLOGICALLY ACTIVE AND HAS A LARGE OCEAN UNDERNEATH AN ICE SHELL (DESPITE BEING SMALLER THAN OUR MOON, EUROPA HAS MORE WATER THAN EARTH). THEREFORE, WE WILL FOCUS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ON EUROPA. HOWEVER THE PROPOSED TECHNOLOGY (WITH VARIOUS DEGREE OF MODIFICATION) COULD ALSO BE USED ON OTHER OCEAN WORLDS AND MARS. TO ADVANCE FORWARD, A PROBE WOULD NEED TO􀁇DESTROY􀁇 THE FORMATION AND MOVE THE DRILLED MATERIAL BEHIND IT. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA TWO PRIMARY METHODS: THERMAL AND MECHANICAL. EACH OF THESE TWO METHODS HAS UNIQUE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES BUT NEITHER IS SUFFICIENT TO REACH THE OCEAN. THERMAL PROBES (E.G. MELT PROBES, CLOSED CYCLE HOT WATER DRILLS - CCHWD, LASERS) ARE VERY ROBUST PENETRATORS THAT REQUIRE JUST HEAT TO MELT THROUGH AND ADVANCE DEEPER BELOW THE SURFACE. THERMAL PROBES, HOWEVER, ARE SLOW (ESPECIALLY IN CRYOGENIC ICE), REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF POWER (KW TO 10S OF KW, DEPENDING ON THE PROBE􀁇S DIAMETER AND LENGTH), AND ARE INEFFICIENT, BECAUSE>90% OF THE HEAT IS LOST INTO SURROUNDING ICE. MECHANICAL DRILLING SYSTEMS, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE APPROXIMATELY 100X MORE EFFICIENT AND SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER. FOR THAT REASON THEY ARE PRIMARY METHODS OF MAKING HOLES AND CAPTURING ICE CORES IN GREENLAND AND ANTARCTICA. THEY CAN ALSO PENETRATE MATERIALS OTHER THAN ICE (E.G. SALTS). THE MAJOR DRAWBACK OF THESE DRILLS RELATES TO CHIPS REMOVAL. CHIPS NEED TO BE REMOVED BY EITHER PERIODICALLY LIFTING THE DRILL WITH CHIPS BASKET OUT OF THE HOLE (CONVENTIONAL METHOD USED IN TERRESTRIAL ICE DRILLING) OR LIFTING THE CHIPS ABOVE THE PROBE AND RECOMPACTING THEM TO THEIR ORIGINAL DENSITY (E.G. INCH WORM APPROACH). IN SUMMARY, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS HAVE VERY EFFICIENT FORMATION BREAKING APPROACH WHILE THERMAL SYSTEMS HAVE VERY EFFECTIVE CHIPS REMOVAL APPROACH. SLUSH IS A THERMO-MECHANICAL PROBE THAT COMBINES THE BEST FROM THESE TWO TECHNIQUES: MECHANICAL DRILL TO BREAK THE FORMATION AND MELTING TO REMOVE THE CUTTINGS). HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF MELTING AN ENTIRE VOLUME OF ICE, SLUSH MELTS JUST A FRACTION OF IT TO FORM SLUSH. SLUSH BEHAVES LIKE LIQUID BUT IS STILL PARTIALLY FROZEN THIS ENABLES SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN POWER DRAW. SINCE MECHANICAL APPROACH GENERATES HIGHER PENETRATION RATES, SLUSH CAN ALSO REACH THE OCEAN IN MUCH SHORTER TIME. SLUSH LOOKS LIKE A TORPEDO WITH A DRILL BIT IN FRONT AND ANTI-TORQUE BLADES ON THE SIDE (PROVEN SYSTEM IN ANTARCTIC WIRELINE DRILLS). IT HOUSES SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS FOR IN-SITU ANALYSIS. IT IS CONNECTED TO A SURFACE LANDER BY AN UMBILICAL FOR DATA AND POWER. TO REDUCE POWER DRAW FROM THE SURFACE ENERGY SUPPLY NEEDED FOR PARTIAL MELTING, SLUSH INCORPORATES GENERAL PURPOSE HEAT SOURCE􀁇 BRICKS WITH ~250 WATT THERMAL POWER. ONCE SLUSH PASSES THROUGH THE CRYOGENIC LICE (A FEW KM THICK), IT CAN USE JUST A THERMAL APPROACH TO MELT THROUGH THE WARMER ICE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL CUTTING. THERMAL PROBES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EFFICIENT IN TEMPERED (WARM) ICE. UNDER PICASSO, THE TRL OF SLUSH WILL BE INCREASED FROM TRL2 TO TRL4. WE WOULD FOCUS ON TWO OF THE MOST CRITICAL TECHNICAL ASPECTS: DRILLING/MELTING AND CHIPS TRANSPORT. TO REACH TRL4, WE PROPOSE TO: 1. DEVELOP HIGH LEVEL DESIGNS AND THERMAL MODELS FOR CRYOGENIC AND WARM ICE TO ESTABLISH POWER LEVELS NEEDED FOR PARTIAL MELTING, AND CONSTRAIN PROBE􀁇S DIAMETER AND LENGTH. 2. BREADBOARD CRITICAL SUBSYSTEMS THAT WILL SUPPORT TRL4 SLUSH DESIGN. 3. DESIGN AND BUILD TRL 4 SLUSH AND TEST IT IN OUR 5 M TALL FREEZER AND IN OUR 3.5 M TALL THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER IN EUROPA ANALOG ICE. 4. UPDATE HIGH LEVEL SLUSH DESIGN BASED ON TEST DATA.$866K
May 17, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC19C0056541715TESTING OF TRL-6 TRIDENT IN HBR LARGE TVAC CHAMBER. DESIGN, FABRICATE AND TEST BREADBOARD RESOLVER-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER SUBSYSTEM. DESIGN BREADBOARD MOTOR DRIVE SUBSYSTEM (FABRICATE AND TEST UNDER NEXT MOD). WRITE AND TEST CONTROL SOFTWARE (MAKE PROGRESS NOT DELIVERED UNTIL NEXT MOD).$625K
Apr 29, 2019Department of DefenseW6QK ACC-APG ADELPHIW911QX19F0047334516ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES, PARTS FOR A-DCP SYSTEM, AND TEST/REPAIR SERVICES.$468K
Apr 19, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA HEADQUARTERS80HQTR19C0024541715REDWATER COMBINES THE TWO TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE: IT USES THE CT APPROACH TO CREATE A HOLE (FIGURE 1). ONCE THE HOLE IS MADE, THE COILED TUBING IS LEFT IN THE HOLE AND USED AS CONDUIT FOR WATER EXTRACTION. THE BHA CONTAINS A ROTARY-PERCUSSIVE DRILL SUBSYSTEM (SIMILAR TO THE ONE USED IN HONEYBEE ROBOTICS DEEP DRILL3), A DOWNHOLE PUMP, AND HEATERS. THE TUBE HOUSES AN INSULATED AND HEATED HOSE AS WELL AS WIRES FOR DOWNHOLE MOTORS AND HEATERS. DURING DRILLING, COMPRESSED GAS IS SEND DOWNHOLE THROUGH THE HOSE. THE GAS ESCAPES THROUGH THE ANNUAL SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND BOREHOLE WALL AND REMOVES CHIPS THAT CAN BE COLLECTED AND ANALYZED FOR SCIENCE. UPON REACHING AN ICE LAYER, THE DRILL CONTINUES FOR ANOTHER 3 M AND THEN STOPS ADVANCING FORWARD, BUT THE BIT CONTINUOUS SPINNING. HEATERS ARE TURNED ON TO MELT THE SURROUNDING ICE. ONCE ICE STARTS TO MELT, THE PERISTALTIC PUMP STARTS PUMPING A FRACTION OF THE MELTED WATER UP THE SAME HOSE THAT WAS USED FOR THE COMPRESSED GAS, AND INTO A STORAGE TANK ON THE SURFACE VIA A 3-WAY HEATED VALVE (VALVE SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND WATER TANK). THE REMAINING WATER PASSES THROUGH A DOWNHOLE HEATER AND IS PUMPED INTO THE ROTATING BIT FOR WATER JETTING THIS CONTINUOUS STIRRING OF WATER AND INJECTION OF HOT WATER SPEEDS UP THE MELTING PROCESS. AFTER MELTING A SECTION OF ICE, THE CT IS REACTIVATED TO DRILL FURTHER AND THE MELTING PROCESS CONTINUES. SINCE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT ARCADIA PLANITIA IS ABOVE THE TRIPLE POINT OF WATER, LIQUID WATER CAN EXIST. HOWEVER, IT IS UNSTABLE AND CAN BOIL OFF VERY QUICKLY. FOR THIS REASON, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO SEAL OFF THE HOLE. THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED VIA ACTIVE MEANS (A PACKER CAN EXPAND IN A HOLE AND SEAL THE ANNULAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE BOREHOLE) OR PASSIVE MEANS (WATER VAPOR WOULD RE-CONDENSE ON THE COLD BOREHOLE WALL AND SEAL IT THIS IN FACT HAS BEEN OBSERVED). THE TUBE WOULD HAVE TO BE HEATED TO FREE ITSELF UP BEFORE CONTINUING FURTHER DOWN, WHEN NEEDED. OUR PNEUMATIC EXCAVATION TESTS AT 7 TORR SHOWED PENETRATION RATES OF 1 M/MIN IN REGOLITH4. THE MASS RATIO OF GAS USED TO MATERIAL REMOVED OUT OF THE HOLE WAS 1:500. ASSUMING A 5 CM DIAMETER HOLE (CURRENT BASELINE FOR REDWATER), THE REQUIRED MASS OF GAS WOULD BE 10 KG. MOST OF THE SOURCES OF COMPRESSED GAS ARE AT HIGH TRL. GAS CAN BE BROUGHT FROM THE EARTH (MARS2020 MISSION BRINGS A TANK OF COMPRESSED N2 TO BLOW DUST OFF ROCKS), HELIUM PRESSURANT CAN BE USED FROM LANDED SYSTEMS, ROCKET FUEL CAN BE BURNED AND TURNED INTO GAS, AND ISRU GASSES (H2/O2) COULD ALSO BE USED. FINALLY, A COMPRESSOR COULD COMPRESS MARTIAN AIR. MOXI ON MARS2020 HAS A COMPRESSOR THAT WOULD TAKE 100 HOURS TO COMPRESS 10 KG OF CO2 FROM 7 TORR TO 760 TORR. TO EXTRACT THE REQUIRED 16 TONS OF WATER, A POOL OF APPROXIMATELY 3.1 M IN DIAMETER HAS TO BE CREATED, WHICH IS FEASIBLE. THE PROCESS OF WATER EXTRACTION WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. OUR THERMAL MODELS USING MATHCAD AS WELL AS CALCULATIONS SHOW THAT REQUIRE HEAT FOR MELTING IS 1.5 KW AND FOR KEEPING THE WATER HOSE WARM ALONG THE 25 M LENGTH IS 1 KW. FIGURE 1 SHOWS REDWATER SYSTEM ON ATHLETE ROVER. IT USES SOLAR PANELS AND MMRTG TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL POWER AND HEAT. FIGURE 2 SHOWS REDWATER IN ITS STORED CONFIGURATION FOR LAUNCH WHILE FIGURE 3 SHOWS THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND BHA.$187K
Mar 25, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA AMES RESEARCH CENTERNNA16BD69C541712IGF::OT::IGF SBIR PHASE III - ATACAMA ROVER ASTROBIOLOGY DRILLING STUDIES (ARADS) PROJECT$17K
Mar 11, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA AMES RESEARCH CENTERNNA16BD69C541712IGF::OT::IGF SBIR PHASE III - ATACAMA ROVER ASTROBIOLOGY DRILLING STUDIES (ARADS) PROJECT$25K
Mar 7, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERNNG15CR63C541330IGF::CT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS FOR ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM HONEYBEE ROBOTICS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR THE SAM/SMS DURING NOMINAL OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, ANOMALOUS OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, AND FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND END-OF-LIFE ANALYSIS DURING THE MSL EXTENDED MISSION.$260K
Feb 22, 2019National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC19C0036541715WBS 1.REVIEW AND FORMALIZE REQUIREMENTS DURING THIS TASK WE WILL REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS AND TURN THEM INTO ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS, IF NEEDED WBS 2.SUPPORT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DURING THIS TASK WE WILL PROVIDE INPUT DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS RELATED TO TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT. SOME INPUT MAY REQUIRE ENGINEERING CALCULATIONS OR VENDOR QUOTE FOR EXAMPLE. WBS 3.DEVELOP UPDATED HIGH-LEVEL DESIGN OF THE P-SAMPLER. PROPRIETARY DATA HBR QN 2018-129 R1 FEB 14, 2019 4 DURING THIS TASK, WE WILL PERFORM A HIGH LEVEL DESIGN OF THE PS. THE DESIGN WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TOLERANCES STACK OR MATERIAL SELECTION BUT RATHER WILL BE USED AS A STARTING POINT FOR TRL6 DESIGN WBS 4.PERFORM TRADE STUDY RELATED TO METHODS FOR VERIFYING SAMPLE HAS BEEN CAPTURED DURING THIS TASK, WE WILL IDENTIFY VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR SAMPLE VERIFICATION. WE WILL PERFORM TRADE STUDY AND PROVIDE FINAL RESULTS. WBS 5.SUPPORT IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND TELECONS DURING THIS TASK WE WILL SUPPORT ANY IN-PERSON MEETINGS AND TELECONS WBS 6.PROVIDE FINAL REPORT AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, WE WILL PROVIDE FINAL SUMMARY REPORT IN THE FORM OF A PPT SLIDES OR WORD DOCUMENT.$300K
Dec 17, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER80GSFC19C0022541330DRAGONFLY RELOADABLE LANDER TO EXPLORE TITAN'S PREBIOTIC CHEMISTRY AND HABITABILITY ANNOUNCEMENT OF OPPORTUNITY NNH16ZD011O$310K
Nov 13, 2018Department of DefenseW6QK ACC-APG ADELPHI0001334516IGF::OT::IGF A-DCP SYSTEM SUSTAINMENT SUPPORT SERVICES$6K
Sep 28, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER80NSSC18C0234541715MARTIAN MOON EXPLORATION (MMX) HAS SET THE TWO MISSION GOALS: (1) DETERMINING THE ORIGIN OF THE MARTIAN MOONS AND (2) OBSERVING PROCESSES IN THE CIRCUMPLANETARY ENVIRONMENT OF MARS, BASED ON REMOTE SENSING AND IN?SITU OBSERVATIONS AND LABORATORY ANALYSES OF RETURNED SAMPLES OF PHOBOS REGOLITH (NNH17ZDA004O?MMX; MMX?SCIRD?ALL). THE ORIGINS OF PHOBOS AND DEIMOS ARE STILL A MATTER OF SIGNIFICANT DEBATE: CAPTURE OF ASTEROIDS VERSUS IN?SITU FORMATION BY A GIANT IMPACT ON MARS (E.G., HESSELBROCK AND MINTON, 2017; HIGUCHI AND IDA, 2017; HYODO ET AL. 2017; ROSENBLATT, 2016;). IN EITHER CASE, MMX WILL DEFINITELY PROVIDE CLUES ABOUT THEIR ORIGINS AND OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECTLY EXPLORE THE SATELLITE BUILDING BLOCKS OR JUVENILE CRUST,MANTLE COMPONENTS OF MARS. THE NEW KNOWLEDGE OF MARS AND ITS MOONS ACQUIRED BY MMX WILL BE FURTHER LEVERAGED TO CONSTRAIN THE INITIAL CONDITION OF THE MARSMOON SYSTEM, TO GAIN VITAL INSIGHTS REGARDING THE SOURCES AND DELIVERY PROCESS OF WATER AND ORGANICS INTO 3 THE INNER ROCKY PLANETS, AND TO EVENTUALLY FILL THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS TOWARDS THE PLANNED FUTURE HUMAN EXPLORATION OF PHOBOS AND MARS. TO FULFILL THE MISSION GOALS, MMX SHOULD COLLECT BOTH ENDOGENOUS AND EXOGENOUS SAMPLES FROM THE REGOLITH COVERING THE PHOBOS SURFACE. THE FORMER REPRESENTS PHOBOS BUILDING BLOCKS THAT RECORD INFORMATION OF THE MOONS ORIGIN, WHILE THE LATTER IS EXPECTED TO CONTAIN SOLAR SYSTEM PROJECTILES AND EJECTA DERIVED FROM MARS AND DEIMOS. ALTHOUGH THE DEPTH PROFILE OF PHOBOS REGOLITH REGARDING MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION IS UNKNOWN, A RATIO OF [EXOGENOUS, ENDOGENOUS] ABUNDANCES IS EXPECTED TO BE HIGHEST AT THE TOP?MOST REGOLITH LAYER.$100K
Sep 26, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERNNG15CR63C541330IGF::CT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS FOR ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM HONEYBEE ROBOTICS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR THE SAM/SMS DURING NOMINAL OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, ANOMALOUS OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, AND FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND END-OF-LIFE ANALYSIS DURING THE MSL EXTENDED MISSION.$250K
Aug 24, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERNNG15CR63C541330IGF::CT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS FOR ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM HONEYBEE ROBOTICS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR THE SAM/SMS DURING NOMINAL OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, ANOMALOUS OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, AND FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND END-OF-LIFE ANALYSIS DURING THE MSL EXTENDED MISSION.$50K
Aug 20, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTERNNG15CR63C541330IGF::CT::IGF THE PURPOSE OF THIS CONTRACT IS FOR ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES FROM HONEYBEE ROBOTICS. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE SUSTAINING ENGINEERING SUPPORT FOR THE SAM/SMS DURING NOMINAL OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, ANOMALOUS OPERATIONS OF THE SAM PAYLOAD, AND FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND END-OF-LIFE ANALYSIS DURING THE MSL EXTENDED MISSION.$50K
Jun 29, 2018National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA AMES RESEARCH CENTERNNA16BD69C541712IGF::OT::IGF SBIR PHASE III - ATACAMA ROVER ASTROBIOLOGY DRILLING STUDIES (ARADS) PROJECT$30K

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