Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Technologies - A New Partnering Opportunity

Purpose:
The NASA Extravehicular Activity (EVA) and Human Surface Mobility (HSM) Program (EHP) seeks to work with partners to advance the technologies associated with human mobility and lunar surface infrastructure in support of NASA’s Artemis missions.  The EHP vision is to provide safe, reliable, and effective EVA and HSM capabilities that allow astronauts to survive and work outside the confines of a spacecraft on and around the Moon. Artemis missions will return humans to the surface of the Moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

The EHP and partners will collaborate on developing lunar capabilities to increase productivity of relevant systems allowing crew to accomplish more during Artemis missions. Focus will be on high-risk technologies for lunar surface systems that will provide mission planners with more choices, thereby increasing mission success.  In pursuing these types of capabilities, NASA and potential partners will develop new and improved technologies that will provide additional options for terrestrial applications in multiple industries.

Technology:
Technology goals include, but are not limited to: dust mitigation capabilities, EVA systems, lunar power and communication infrastructure, local relative navigation, increased battery capacity and reduced charge time, and advanced mobility concepts capable of sustained operation while minimizing maintenance in a lunar environment for an extended service period.  Each system will be required to operate in the extreme environment of cis-lunar orbit and/or the lunar south pole, including inside Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs) and onto Mars.

Intellectual Property (IP):  
This potential Partnership may produce new IP that could be jointly owned by NASA and the partner or may become the property of the partner.  Standard clauses for partnership agreements are provided in the appendices of the Space Act Agreements Guide, NAII 1050-1. These standard clauses are usually used without any changes. Any deviations from the standard intellectual property clauses are reviewed by NASA Office of the General Counsel at the Headquarters and/or Center-level, as appropriate and approved by NASA Partnerships Office.

Potential Commercial Applications:
Lunar, undersea, automotive, nuclear, space tourism, personal protective equipment (PPE) …

Keywords: 
Mobility, spacesuit, rover, vehicle, power infrastructure, sustainable, dust, communication architecture, relative navigation and localization, regolith, lunar terrain vehicle, LTV, pressurized rover, PR, lunar, Artemis, moon, ISS, LEO
 

To respond to this announcement, please use the Statement of Interest Form found at 
https://nasajsc.secure.force.com/StatementofInterest

To view all Co-Development and Partnering Opportunities with the NASA Johnson Space Center, please visit our website at 
https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/exploration/technology/co-development-and-partnering-opportunities