A hundred meters below the surface of the moon lie caves untouched by humans. They were discovered about ten years ago, but space agencies want to send robots to investigate these mysterious cavities before astronauts venture in. “On the moon’s surface, the temperature is 150 degrees above zero during the day and 150 degrees below zero at night,” says Lucas Froissart, who recently completed a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at EPFL. “In these subterranean caves, which can be reached through natural, vertical pits, the temperature is –30 degrees and there’s no radiation. Since the climate is constant and tolerable for human beings, these tunnels could conceivably serve as base camps.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1647339233507-3de8bcd1.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Illustration of a lunar cave © 2022 EPFL&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1647339262616-6c81df05.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">© 2022 EPFL&nbsp;<h2 id="isPasted">Round robots</h2>During his Master’s program, Froissart landed an internship at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Because of the pandemic, however, he couldn’t go to Tokyo. He ended up doing his internship work in Professor Auke Ijspeert’s lab, collaborating with his Japanese colleagues by video conference.Froissart’s instructions were brief: he had six months to design a mechanism capable of propelling six explorer robots through the lunar tunnels. “I didn’t even get to see what these robots looked like. I was just told that they were like a gymnastic ball in terms of weight, size and rigidity,” he says. So Froissart bought some gymnastic balls and set to work building an exoskeleton that could hold six robots.<h2>How high the drop?</h2>“The exoskeleton is designed to be dropped into a lunar pit, which is about 100 meters long,” says Froissart. “When it touches the ground, three explorer robots are propelled at a 45-degree angle in order to go as far as possible into the cave. The other three are released on the spot to collect immediate data.” His system tests had to take into account not only the height of the fall, but also the weightlessness and lack of air resistance on the moon. Froissart calculated that he had to drop his exoskeleton from a height of 20 meters on Earth in order to simulate lunar conditions.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1647339318742-2555ea89.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Lucas Froissart with his prototype © Alain Herzog 2022 EPFL&nbsp;Froissart found the ideal testing location while walking on the EPFL campus: the RTS construction site next door. After apprising the construction manager of his project, he was allowed to use one of the scaffolds to drop his exoskeleton. “The site workers even made me a sandpit with a ton and a half of sand to receive it,” he says. A few hundred tests later, he was finally successful, as the balls were propelled several meters the moment the structure hit the ground. He received positive feedback from JAXA, which planned to pursue his work. “We may see it on the moon in a few years’ time,” he says.Froissart, who always wanted to work in the space industry, recently found a job building satellites and rocket nose cones in Zurich: “My experience with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency landed me this job.”<hr>ReferencesStephane Bonardi, Lucas Froissart, Toshihisa Nikaido, Auke Ijspeert, Takashi Kubota, "Robotic Exoskeletons for Payload Transportation in Lunar Caves", in the 33rd International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS), 2022.

Lucas Froissart carries out tests on the RTS site © Alain Herzog 2022 EPFL

EPFL engineering student Lucas Froissart designed an exoskeleton capable of propelling robot explorers into subsurface tunnels on the moon.

Launching robots into lunar caves

This article is a part of our <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program</a>. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe.Community voting is now live. Vote for your favorite submission by visiting:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/utep-community-vote/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">University Technology Exposure Program Community Vote</a>.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">What Is Our Technology?</h2>As government space agencies and private space exploration companies plan missions to Mars, engineers are looking at ways to convert Martian raw materials into useful products, a process known as in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). Local production of materials will be a key enabler to future Mars missions, considering it takes around 225 tonnes of rocket fuel to deliver a single tonne of any material (including fuel) to the Martian surface. Recent advances in electro and plasma catalysis have created new opportunities for using electricity to drive industrially important chemical processes.&nbsp;On Earth these processes can be coupled with renewable energy sources to decarbonise dirty industrial processes and store energy, an approach collectively known as power-to-X (P2X). In 2021 the MOXIE experiment aboard the NASA Perseverance rover successfully converted carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere into carbon monoxide (a useful intermediate) and breathable oxygen, demonstrating Martian ISRU for the first time. Our group has proposed an integrated Martian ISRU system based on P2X technology, which aims to reliably supply a range of critical materials for a long-duration Mars mission.NASA has identified water, oxygen, and buffer gases (for life support), along with methane (for rocket fuel) as primary targets for Martian ISRU technology. The reliable production of water and oxygen for life support systems on Mars will be a key enabler for long-duration missions, providing astronauts an alternative to resupply from Earth. The three key sources of raw materials on Mars are water ice (located at the polar regions), atmospheric gases, and regolith.&nbsp;The Martian atmosphere is 95.3% carbon dioxide, 2.7% nitrogen, and 1.6% argon, with trace amounts of other gases. Martian regolith &ndash; the grainy layer of dust and rock that covers the surface &ndash; is a rich mixture of mineral oxides including oxides of silicon, aluminium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and titanium. The regolith contains between 1% - 8% water content that can be extracted, whilst the mineral oxides can be refined into breathable oxygen and metal alloys.&nbsp;P2X technologies such as plasma catalysis reactors, electrolytic cells, and electrocatalytic devices, are well suited to space applications due to their modularity, solid-state design, responsiveness, and capability to operate at lower temperatures and pressures compared to conventional chemical plants on Earth. Being electrically driven, they can also be integrated into the power grid of a Martian base, which will likely be supplied by a combination of solar photovoltaics and radioisotope thermoelectric generators.&nbsp;To approach the system-level design of an integrated ISRU ecosystem, we adopted a &lsquo;building block&rsquo; framework whereby raw materials are converted into versatile, small molecules, which can be combined in a variety of ways to form valuable products. Figure 1 shows how four key input materials, namely carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water (from ice and hydrated regolith), and mineral oxides, can be used to produce a wide range of commodities supporting manufacturing, agriculture, sanitation, life support, and ascent propellant. A key building block will be methanol, which can be synthesised from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, allowing the synthesis of a range of hydrocarbon-based materials. &nbsp; <img alt="martian-isru" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ3MTgzMjAxODgxLTE2NDcxODMyMDE4ODEucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 756px;">Figure 1: Building block framework for Martian ISRU&nbsp;We took the building block concept and explored what it might look like in practice, considering the various process material streams and aiming to incorporate recycling where possible. Figure 2 shows our proposed concept for an integrated ISRU system, facilitating the production of the key commodities discussed above. Hydrogen could be produced from the electrolysis of water and combined with atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce methane for rocket propellant, and methanol to produce solvents and polymers. Molten oxide electrolysis (MOE) &ndash; the process of heating regolith until it becomes molten and applying an electric current to separate the metals from the oxygen &ndash; could be used to produce metal alloys and oxygen gas.&nbsp;Oxygen produced from both MOE and water electrolysis would find applications in life support, as an oxidant for rocket fuel, and in the production of synthetic fertiliser when combined with atmospheric nitrogen through plasma-catalytic nitrogen fixation. This proposed system considers recycling at the molecular level, for example with carbon dioxide from human exhalation collected and converted into breathable oxygen and a source of carbon atoms, for various processes. A similar technology was used on the international space station for several years from 2010 to convert exhaled carbon dioxide and waste hydrogen into drinkable water and methane (which was vented), using the thermochemical Sabatier process. &nbsp;<img alt="integrated-isru-concept" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ3MTgzMjAxNTQ4LTE2NDcxODMyMDE1NDgucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii">Figure 2: A concept design for an integrated ISRU system using a variety of technologies<h2 dir="ltr">What are some applications of our technology?</h2>The applications for this technology are not limited to a Martian settlement but may also form the basis of establishing a Lunar refuelling station to facilitate trips to Mars and the wider solar system. Closer to home, this technology can help remote communities in harsh conditions be less reliant on expensive resupply (think Antarctic bases, sea platforms, and even remote towns).&nbsp;When combined with abundant and cheap renewable energy, electrically driven chemical process technology (P2X) like this could facilitate a shift away from globe-spanning supply chains and towards decentralised production. One of the most attractive examples of this P2X technology on Earth is the localised production of &lsquo;green&rsquo; fertiliser, which may finally allow the global economy to transition away from the extremely polluting Haber-Bosch process, which generates more greenhouse gases than any other industrial chemical process in the world and is responsible for around 1% of global carbon dioxide emissions.The team working on this project is led by Dr Mark Baldry from the University of Sydney and includes researchers from the University of New South Wales and the University of Newcastle, Australia. Our project will show the potential benefits of electrifying industrial processes and how P2X technology will help address the long-term challenges of space exploration.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>[1] Dr Mark Baldry, How to survive on Mars?, Medium, [Online], &nbsp;26 Dec 2021, Available from: <a href="https://medium.com/@baldrymark91/how-to-survive-on-mars-7a1440fd7dde" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@baldrymark91/how-to-survive-on-mars-7a1440fd7dde</a>[2] Mark Baldry, Nicholas Gurieff, Declan Keogh, Imagining sustainable human ecosystems with power-to-x in-situ resource utilisation technology, Acta Astronautica, Volume 192, 2022, Pages 190-198, ISSN 0094-5765, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.12.031" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2021.12.031</a>. (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576521006664" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576521006664</a>)<h2 dir="ltr">About the University Technology Exposure Program 2022</h2>Wevolver, in partnership with <a href="https://mouser.com/" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> and <a href="https://www.ansys.com/" target="_blank">Ansys</a>, is excited to announce the launch of the University Technology Exposure Program 2022. The program aims to recognize and reward innovation from engineering students and researchers across the globe. Learn more about the program <a href="http://www.wevolver.com/student-program" target="_blank">here</a>.<img alt="university-technology-exposure-program-mouser-ansys" src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQ3MTgzMjAxNzIwLTE2NDcxODMyMDE3MjAucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" width="720" height="91" class="fr-fic fr-dii">

A team of researchers from three leading Australian universities proposes an integrated system for producing essential materials on Mars using local resources, paving the way for self-sufficient settlements.

How to Survive on Mars?

This article was first published on <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2022/robotic-cubes-electrovoxels-shapeshift-outer-space-0223" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT News</a>.<hr>If faced with the choice of sending a swarm of full-sized, distinct robots to space, or a large crew of smaller robotic modules, you might want to enlist the latter. Modular robots, like those depicted in films such as "Big Hero 6," hold a special type of promise for their self-assembling and reconfiguring abilities. But for all of the ambitious desire for fast, reliable deployment in domains extending to space exploration, search and rescue, and shape-shifting, modular robots built to date are still a little clunky. They’re typically built from a menagerie of large, expensive motors to facilitate movement, calling for a much-needed focus on more scalable architectures&nbsp;— both up in quantity and down in size.Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) called on electromagnetism&nbsp;—<a target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>electromagnetic fields generated by the movement of electric current&nbsp;—<a target="_blank">&nbsp;</a>to avoid the usual stuffing of bulky and expensive actuators into individual blocks. Instead, they embedded small, easily manufactured, inexpensive electromagnets into the edges of the cubes that repel and attract, allowing the robots to spin and move around each other and rapidly change shape.The “ElectroVoxels” have a side length of about 60 millimeters, and the magnets consist of ferrite core (they look like little black tubes) wrapped with copper wire, totaling a whopping cost of just 60 cents. Inside each cube are tiny printed circuit boards and electronics that send current through the right electromagnet in the right direction.Unlike traditional hinges that require mechanical attachments between two elements, ElectroVoxels are completely wireless, making it much easier to maintain and manufacture for a large-scale system.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e0U4vdpa3b4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" style="width: 767px; height: 431px;"></iframe>ElectroVoxels are robotic cubes that can reconfigure using electromagnets. The cubes don't need motors or propellant to move, and can operate in microgravity.&nbsp;To better visualize what a bunch of blocks would look like while interacting, the scientists used a software planner that visualizes reconfigurations and computes the underlying electromagnetic assignments. A user can manipulate up to a thousand cubes with just a few clicks, or use predefined scripts that encode multiple, consecutive rotations. The system really lets the user drive the fate of the blocks, within reason&nbsp;— you can change the speed, highlight the magnets, and display necessary moves to avoid collisions. You can instruct the blocks to take on different shapes (like a chair to a couch, because who needs both?)The cheap little blocks are particularly auspicious for microgravity environments, where any structure that you want to launch to orbit needs to fit inside the rocket used to launch it. After initial tests on an air table, ElextroVoxels found true weightlessness when tested in a microgravity flight, with the overall impetus of better space exploration tools like propellant-free reconfiguration or changing the inertia properties of a spacecraft.By leveraging propellant-free actuation, for example, there’s no need to launch extra fuel for reconfiguration, which addresses many of the challenges associated with launch mass and volume. The hope, then, is that this reconfigurability method could aid myriad future space endeavors: augmentation and replacement of space structures over multiple launches, temporary structures to help with spacecraft inspection and astronaut assistance, and (future iterations) of the cubes acting as self-sorting storage containers."ElectroVoxels show how to engineer a fully reconfigurable system, and exposes our scientific community to the challenges that need to be tackled to have a fully functional modular robotic system in orbit," says Dario Izzo, head of the Advanced Concepts Team at the European Space Agency. "This research demonstrates how electromagnetically actuated pivoting cubes are simple to build, operate, and maintain, enabling a flexible, modular and reconfigurable system that can serve as an inspiration to design intelligent components of future exploration missions."&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1646046050402-single-ortho.jpg" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">ElectroVoxels have a side length of about 60 millimeters, and magnets consisting of ferrite core (they look like little black tubes) wrapped with copper wire, totaling just 60 cents. Inside each cube are tiny printed circuit boards and electronics that send current through the right electromagnet in the right direction.&nbsp;To make the blocks move, they have to follow a sequence, like little homogeneous Tetris pieces. In this case, there are three steps to the polarization sequence: launch, travel, and catch, with each phase having a traveling cube (for moving), an origin one (where the traveling cube launches), and destination (which catches the traveling cube). Users of the software can specify which cube to pivot in what direction, and the algorithm will automatically compute the sequence and address of electromagnetic assignments required to make that happen (repel, attract, or turn off).For future work, moving from space to Earth is the natural next step for ElectroVoxels, which would require doing more detailed modeling and optimization of these electromagnets to do reconfiguration against gravity here.“When building a large, complex structure, you don’t want to be constrained by the availability and expertise of people assembling it, the size of your transportation vehicle, or the adverse environmental conditions of the assembly site. While these axioms hold true on Earth, they compound severely for building things in space,” says MIT CSAIL PhD student Martin Nisser, the lead author on a paper about ElectroVoxels. “If you could have structures that assemble themselves from simple, homogeneous modules, you could eliminate a lot of these problems. So while the potential benefits in space are particularly great, the paradox is that the favorable dynamics provided by microgravity mean some of those problems are actually also easier to solve&nbsp;— in space, even tiny forces can make big things move. By applying this technology to solve real near-term problems in space, we can hopefully incubate the technology for future use on earth too.”Nisser wrote the paper alongside Leon Cheng and Yashaswini Makaram of MIT CSAIL; Ryo Suzuki, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Calgary; and MIT Professor Stefanie Mueller. They will present the work at the 2022 International Conference on Robotics and Automation.&nbsp;<hr>"Reprinted with permission of&nbsp;<a href="https://news.mit.edu/2022/robotic-cubes-electrovoxels-shapeshift-outer-space-0223" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MIT News</a>"

MIT PhD student Martin Nisser tests self-reconfiguring robot blocks, or ElectroVoxels, in microgravity. Photo: Steve Boxall/ZeroG

Self-reconfiguring ElectroVoxels use embedded electromagnets to test applications for space exploration.

Robotic cubes shapeshift in outer space

The Astrobee free-flying robots, developed in and managed by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/intelligent-systems-division" target="_blank">NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division</a>, were setup for the second session to test an autonomous rendezvous algorithm and assist the ground team in monitoring Astrobee performance of autonomous robotic rendezvous with a tumbling target. The Relative Operations for Autonomous Maneuvers (ROAM) tests demonstrate processes for a robotic craft to rendezvous with debris in space. Space debris includes satellites that could be repaired or taken out of orbit; but many of these objects are tumbling, which makes rendezvous and docking challenging. ROAM uses the International Space Station’s (ISS) Astrobee robots to observe and understand how targets tumble and uses this information to plan ways to safely reach them.Adaptations to Astrobee's localization system enabled successful tumbles of a target Astrobee, providing sufficient tumble stability for an autonomous rendezvous pipeline to be used. Multiple "full pipeline" tests were conducted, including successful complete rendezvous tests. Other, unsuccessful rendezvous tests will be used to analyze algorithm performance in the presence of challenging localization and computational constraints. The primary test objectives were fully met over a total of 20 tests. Secondary objectives were partially met; "full pipeline" tests over the most challenging configuration options were not performed, though validation for the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem custom estimator (EKF) and for robust control were. This activity concludes the ROAM investigation, which has demonstrated successful on-orbit rendezvous with unknown tumbling targets. Future work will extend robustness guarantees and overall algorithm reliability, particularly in the face of localization and computational limitations.BACKGROUND: The Astrobees are next-generation free-flying robots that operate in the interior of the ISS. Their primary purpose is to provide a flexible platform for research on zero-gravity free-flying robotics, with the ability to carry a wide variety of future research payloads and guest science software. They also serve utility functions: as free-flying cameras to record video of astronaut activities, and as mobile sensor platforms to conduct surveys of the ISS. They were developed under the Human Exploration Telerobotics 2 (HET2) project and are currently managed by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee" target="_blank">Astrobee Facility</a> project.The HET2 project demonstrates how telerobotics — robots remotely operated by astronauts or ground controllers — can be used to perform a variety of routine, highly repetitive, dangerous, and long-duration tasks. The primary goal of HET is to improve NASA’s understanding of the requirements, benefits, limitations, costs, and risks of integrating telerobotics into future deep-space exploration missions.

The Astrobee free-flying robots, developed in and managed by the NASA Ames Intelligent Systems Division, were setup for the second session to test an autonomous rendezvous algorithm and assist the ground team in monitoring Astrobee performance of autonomous robotic rendezvous with a tumbling target.

Astrobee Successfully Demonstrates Rendezvous Between Robotic Craft and Space Debris

A praying mantis for the moon, Mars and meteorites: the mantis-like robot "Mantis" is said to be able to independently explore planets and build an infrastructure with its claws. The hardware and software are developed by scientists from the Robotics Innovation Center at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the University of Bremen.&nbsp;Thanks to his bio-inspired body and various running patterns, he will master steep craters and boulder fields as well as manipulate with his front legs.&nbsp;By learning from his experiences, he should be able to act purposefully.&nbsp;The LIMES project that has just started is being funded with around 3.7 million euros by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).&nbsp;The term is four years.&nbsp;LIMES stands for “Learning Intelligent Motions for Kinematically Complex Legged Robots for Exploration in Space”. The name of the robot is borrowed from the mantis, which belongs to the mantis order.&nbsp;The robot morphology will be similar to that of the natural model: the system should not only be able to use the two front of its six legs to walk, but also to grab objects.&nbsp;To do this, it lifts its upper body – like the praying mantis. "The challenge is to learn running patterns for different ground conditions in which all six legs work in unison despite different tasks," explains Prof. Dr.&nbsp;Frank Kirchner, head of the DFKI Robotics Innovation Center and the Robotics working group at the University of Bremen.&nbsp;The many joints, distributed over several legs, enable many different movement patterns.&nbsp;In this way, the robot can adapt its posture to the circumstances – and maneuver safely in unfamiliar terrain. Robot selects situationally from its "behaviour library" The aim of the project is to give the robot algorithms for different walking modes.&nbsp;These can be designed for energy-saving or careful movement.&nbsp;Mantis senses stumbling blocks, craters and hills with tactile sensors that he wears in his soles.&nbsp;Using a camera in his head, he creates a 3D image of the environment.&nbsp;The data is transmitted to earth by satellite.&nbsp;The human instructs the robot which destination to head for.&nbsp;"Based on the data, Mantis selects the appropriate walking pattern from its so-called behavior library.&nbsp;It recognizes obstacles and then avoids them of its own accord,” says Sebastian Bartsch, DFKI computer scientist and project manager.&nbsp;After each action, the robot evaluates its decision.&nbsp;“For example, he asks himself: Was my energy use good?&nbsp;If not, he will act differently in a similar situation in the future,” says Bartsch. The movement patterns are pre-learned in simulations that simulate extraterrestrial conditions: gravitation, lighting conditions, gradients. Real tests follow in the DFKI's space exploration hall, a 288 square meter test site with an artificial crater landscape.&nbsp;

Inspired by the mantis: Robot "Mantis" will not only be able to walk with its front legs, but also to manipulate.

A praying mantis for the moon, Mars and meteorites: the mantis-like robot "Mantis" is said to be able to independently explore planets and build an infrastructure with its claws. 

The Praying Mantis As A Model - Six-Legged Robot To Build Infrastructure On Celestial Bodies

James Webb Space Telescope aims to take us to the unexplored realm of our cosmic origins. From observing the formation of the first stars and galaxies to looking for the possibility of life on other planets, the telescope will play a major role in the future of space exploration.

James Webb Space Telescope Science Instruments Explained

In this episode, we talk about NASA’s new packable solar sail for deep space travel, how to prevent cyber attacks by fixing memory vulnerabilities, and how flying robots could be the solution to our space trash problem. As always, you can find these and other interesting &amp; impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/5a764f3e-d71a-4b7c-83f6-79119deb4e29?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe><h3 id="isPasted">EPISODE NOTES</h3>Take a few seconds to leave us a review. It really helps!&nbsp;<a href="https://apple.co/2RIsbZ2" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2RIsbZ2</a> if you do it and send us proof, we’ll give you a shoutout on the show.(0:50) - Deployable Solar Sail:Solar sails are a great alternative to traditional propulsion for deep space travel since it only depends on sunlight as its power source. Recent advances in material science have allowed NASA engineers to develop a solar sail as big as an apartment that can pack itself into a toaster sized satellite.&nbsp;(8:00) - Advancing System Security:&nbsp;The increasing number of hacks (e.g. Colonial Pipeline) has reignited the pursuit of robust cybersecurity measures and a group of Columbia researchers are offering a no-overhead approach to prevent the most critical system vulnerability: memory attacks.(14:40) - Cleaning Space Trash:&nbsp;Space trash poses a threat against space missions because even the smallest debris can fatally-damage a spacecraft. Embry-Riddle students &nbsp;partnered with NASA to develop solar sail-powered robots capable of gathering trash and burning it in the atmosphere.--About the podcast:Every day, some of the most innovative universities, companies, and individual technology developers share their knowledge on Wevolver. To ensure we can also provide this knowledge for the growing group of podcast listeners, we started a collaboration with two young engineers, Daniel Scott Mitchell &amp; Farbod Moghaddam who discuss the most interesting content in this podcast series.&nbsp;To learn more about this show, please visit the <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" target="_blank">shows page</a>. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.Be sure to give us a follow and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-next-byte/id1548255861?l=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> podcasts, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPPsRtegnivsRUEsQ09R7?si=IPMiah7xT_apJtPjqvXMlA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

Illustration showing the solar sail beginning to unfurl after deployment of the spacecraft’s solar arrays. Credits: NASA

In this episode, we talk about NASA’s new packable solar sail for deep space travel, how to prevent cyber attacks by fixing memory vulnerabilities, and how flying robots could be the solution to our space trash problem.

Podcast: Solar Sailing, Preventing Cyber Attacks, Space Trash Robot

The Spacebit Engineering Challenge enables engineers around the world to contribute to the development of “Asagumo 2.0”, a four-legged walking rover that is set to fly to the Moon with the NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program in 2021 and 2022.Spacebit is a UK-based space startup developing space robotic technology and space data analytics tools for space exploration that includes advanced micro robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Their approach to engineering is to deliver competitive cost solutions for the exploration of celestial bodies.Spacebit's goal is to create new opportunities for industry, academia, and government, advancing the future development of a new infrastructure and commercial resource exploration ‘offworld’ - &nbsp;beginning with the Moon.The company's micro-rover technologies and rover deployment systems are designed to carry scientific payloads in support of the Artemis Program space exploration and research goals. Spacebit is the only commercial company to secure two consecutive NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) delivery missions to the Moon in 2021. Spacebit is one of the first commercial lunar companies that plans to fly on every NASA CLPS delivery on the market.Future versions of the rover would be sent to explore tubular cave structures – subsurface tunnels, believed to have been formed by ancient basaltic lava flows – to see if they are viable locations in which to build future lunar habitats for human presence on the moon.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QSGFL4W1guk?&amp;feature=emb_title&amp;ab_channel=SpacebitCompany&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 788px; height: 406px;"></iframe><h2 dir="ltr">Contribute and get your name on the Moon</h2>Over the next several weeks Spacebit will invite the Wevolver community in an open format, for inputs and ideas on various engineering challenges as they develop new rover designs and technologies for space-based applications, beginning with the Moon. The technical feedback will be used to help improve and iterate Spacebit’s technology.The engineering inputs will be assessed and the most valuable contributors will be rewarded by having their name engraved on the Asagumo rover before it launches on its maiden journey to the Moon. Additionally, the winning engineer will be invited to the control room in the UK or US; or, participate in Spacebit’s remote Robotic Operations &amp; Control Center (ROCC). <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIzMzMzNTM3MDkwLVNwYWNlYml0LTZiLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The winner of the challenge will have their name engraved on the rover and be invited to the launch control room. Image credit: Spacebit/Wevolver.<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">Asagumo</h2></div>Asagumo is a semi-autonomous micro rover built on a single-unit CubeSat frame, usually used for micro &nbsp;satellites. The &nbsp;rover weighs just 1.3 kilograms, is solar-powered and instead of wheels or tracks, is equipped with four spider-like legs. Mission 1 is a tech demo mission where Asagumo is equipped with sensors and camera technology; the rover will attempt to walk for ≤10 meters on the lunar surface, sending data back to Earth. The goal is to eventually explore the moon’s subsurface through the labyrinth of lunar lava tubes and caves. Because of its four legs rather than wheels or tracks, the rover has an advantageous design to explore parts of the Moon other rovers &nbsp;cannot reach.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIzMjUzNTcyMTE4LVNwYWNlYml0LTEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A small square gold rover robot with four black spider-like legs.">The Asagumo micro rover is built on a single-unit CubeSat frame. Image credit: Spacebit.&nbsp;<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">How to contribute?</h2>Joining the discussion is simple. On Wevolver's social media channels, we will share regular updates regarding the progress of the project. Spacebit will ask for feedback on engineering challenges they have on which you can comment and engage with. To make sure you stay in the loop, follow their company profile on <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/spacebit" target="_blank">Wevolver</a>.We're excited to see your feedback, and look forward to seeing the first Wevolver community member inscribed on the Moon!

Contribute to the development of a four-legged walking rover that is set to fly to the Moon with NASA in 2021 and 2022.

The Spacebit Engineering Challenge

Yıldız Rover is an interdisciplinary student project with the main goal of building a robotic system that can search for organic and inorganic living conditions in space. It also aims to encourage people who are interested in space and robotics to go further, creating a sociable workspace for young engineers.In other words, Yıldız Rover Team is actually a group of students who are studying at Yıldız Technical University located in Turkey, determined to make their voice heard. The team members study in a variety of departments such as Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering in addition to Chemistry, Physics, and Bioengineering.What are they doing though, like right now?Yıldız Rover Team is currently building their own Rover, designed by its members, with great excitement and devotion. They have been working for the last four months and will probably be working for the next eight too, nonstop, getting ready for the European Rover Challenge (ERC).ERC is an internationally recognized annual robotics competition for students, graduates and researchers that takes place in Poland. During the competition, every team runs their own rover, attempting to reach the standards of actual ESA and NASA missions in the biggest artificial Mars field ever made on Earth.Yıldız Rover team was refounded in 2020, starting with the obligation of working apart due to the pandemic; but never letting the situation affect their motivation or efficiency. Team members are divided into five subteams in order to make better progress within each field: mechanics, electronics, software, science and organization. The first step was to educate the recruits on their respective fields, organizing online programs on several subjects. The rest escalated pretty quick. Wheels of the rover and the gripper for the robotic arm were the first parts to get their final versions, the body designed according to the Rocker Bogie mechanism and the suspension system following right after. Software team developed a mechanism using LIDAR which locates the surroundings and repositions the rover when approaching an obstacle. Electronics designed a switch mode power supply with multiple outputs while the science team keeps going with their research on biology, geology, organic chemistry; basically every sub-discipline of science that exists.Linkedin:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/yildiz-rover-team/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/yildiz-rover-team/</a>

European Rover Challenge Press Kit https://roverchallenge.eu/en/main-page/

A rover team with the members from Istanbul's Yildiz Technical University have finished the design of their Mars Rover and they are now in process of prototype production for the preparation of European Rover Challenge that will take place in Poland, September 2021.

space robots

ORGANIZATIONS.

SHAPING THE INDUSTRY.

NASA

Spacebit

Latest Posts