NASA is looking to accelerate the development of technologies that could support long-term human activity on the Moon, particularly around the lunar South Pole.
Announced on September 8, the agency’s latest solicitation focuses on key technology gaps involving power generation, oxygen extraction and manufacturing materials on the Moon. These capabilities are considered important for building the infrastructure needed for sustained lunar exploration and a future Moon base.
“NASA is accelerating the development of key technologies and closing critical gaps needed for long-term human exploration at the Moon,” said Greg Stover, director of NASA’s Advanced Research and Technology Division. “Partnering with industry will strengthen the U.S. industrial base as we mature the capabilities and infrastructure needed for a sustainable lunar presence.”
The NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement, under its Appendix A: Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator solicitation, seeks to mature and demonstrate capabilities across 5 areas.
The first is vertical solar array technology, designed to provide consistent power generation, management, distribution and energy storage.
The second focuses on oxygen production through in-situ resource utilisation, extracting usable oxygen that is chemically bonded to the rock and dust, or regolith, covering the Moon’s surface.
NASA is also seeking proposals for Radioisotope Stirling generators, a nuclear energy technology that uses heat from fissile materials to generate electricity for spacecraft systems operating in dark, dusty and remote lunar environments.
The fourth area is advanced manufacturing in space, which could reduce dependence on resupply missions from Earth while improving flexibility and resilience during lunar missions.
The fifth focuses on innovative nanomaterials production, aimed at improving the availability and quality of nanomaterials for lunar exploration.
NASA said the solicitation is intended to develop U.S.-led capabilities while maintaining open competition among private companies, academic institutions and not-for-profit organisations. International partners can also participate through U.S.-led teams.
The agency may use technical data and demonstration results from the contracts awarded through the programme to help shape future acquisition strategies for lunar exploration.
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