Bulk Metallic Glass Gears - Implementation (BMGG-I)

With NASA’s bulk metallic glass alloys we can increase operational capability and accomplish more science in extreme cold environments like permanently shadowed craters on the Moon, the Lunar night, and icy bodies such as Europa. Temperatures in these environments are regularly more than twice as cold as those ever recorded on earth. Spacecraft mechanisms, specifically gearboxes and actuators, made from these materials can operate without power consuming heaters. This allows that power to be used instead for more instruments or extending the life of the mission.