Center Innovation Fund: JPL CIF
Gecko-Inspired ON-OFF Adhesives for Orbital Debris Mitigation, Year 1
Project Description
Validated controllable ON/OFF gecko-like adhesives as a potential technology for grappling objects in Earth orbit by testing the adhesives at minus-80C and demonstrating the adhesives in an omni-directional anchoring mechanism using opposed sets of adhesive pads. Small, 8 in2 anchors supported >1kg on flat surfaces like metal and glass, and several hundred grams on 3 meter and 1 meter diameter tubes.
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Anticipated Benefits
Automating grapple sequence makes the capability for space demonstration through Edison, GCD, or ISS. Demonstrating capture of a floating object will enable new NASA missions with a unique capability.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) | Lead Organization | FFRDC/UARC | Pasadena, California |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Supporting Organization | Academia | Chicago, Illinois |
| Stanford University (Stanford) | Supporting Organization | Academia | Stanford, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
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California
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Maryland
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Ohio
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Texas
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.