Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, a lunar spacecraft developer, and American Honda Motor Co., an auto manufacturer, recently signed a joint development agreement to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a scalable and integrated power solution for sustained lunar surface missions.
The study will explore how Astrobotic’s Vertical Solar Array Technology and LunaGrid service can be integrated with Honda’s regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system to provide continuous power even during prolonged periods of darkness on the Moon. The study will have three objectives: assessing hardware and software integration to define RFC system requirements, evaluating the scalability of the Honda RFC system for LunaGrid’s use, and conducting detailed tests to assess power generation and storage requirements at different sites where the system will be deployed.
“By enabling survival through the harsh lunar night and extending mission durations from days to years, LunaGrid will significantly boost mission performance and data return per dollar invested,” Bobby Rolley, Astrobotic’ Lunar Power Systems architect, said. “Our collaboration with Honda is a major move in this vision, as their scalable energy storage technology will enhance both LunaGrid and our Vertical Solar Array Technology, expanding our overall power generation and storage capabilities.”
The study, also will simulate one-year solar illumination profiles at various lunar South Pole sites.