NASA has selected three companies to further advance work on deployable solar array systems that will help power the agency’s human and robotic exploration of the Moon under Artemis.

Through Artemis missions, NASA will return humans to the Moon and establish a long-term presence near the lunar south pole. A reliable, sustainable power source is required to support lunar habitats, rovers, and even construction systems for future robotic and crewed missions. To help provide this power, NASA is supporting the development of vertical solar arrays that can autonomously deploy up to 32 feet high and retract for relocation if necessary.

The agency will award a total of $19.4 million to three companies to build prototypes and perform environmental testing, with the goal of deploying one of the systems near the Moon’s south pole near the end of this decade. The designs must remain stable on sloped terrain and be resistant to abrasive lunar dust, all while minimizing both mass and stowed volume to aid in the system’s delivery to the lunar surface. The companies selected are:

• Astrobotic Technology of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: $6.2 million
• Honeybee Robotics of Brooklyn, New York: $7 million
• Lockheed Martin of Littleton, Colorado: $6.2 million

Existing space-rated solar array structures are designed for use in microgravity or for horizontal surface deployment. The vertical orientation and height of these new designs will help prevent loss of power at the lunar poles where the Sun does not rise very far above the horizon. When the Sun is low on the horizon, the Moon’s terrain can block some of its light, keeping it from reaching solar arrays that are low to the ground. By placing the solar arrays on tall masts, these designs allow for uninterrupted light and therefore produce more power.

The contracts are part of the agency’s Vertical Solar Array Technology (VSAT) project, which aims to support NASA’s long-term lunar surface operations. In 2021, NASA selected five companies to create initial designs for vertical solar array technologies. VSAT is led by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Game Changing Development program and Langley in collaboration with NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.