Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Lunar Oxygen and Silicon Beneficiation Using Only Solar Power, Phase II
Project Description
The Phase I effort conceived a novel method for ISRU oxygen extraction and liquefaction from lunar regolith, repre-senting a significant advance in the state of the art. The approach uses solar photovoltaics as a power source to heat and extract oxygen with highly favorable system metrics, capable of achieving TRL 3 during a Phase II effort and TRL 6 in earth gravity during Phase III. Autonomy of operation is straightforward with simple robotics. Annual oxygen output is calculated to be many times the system mass. Projections of engineering development indicate the potential to be flight-ready for lunar operations by the time a lunar outpost is established, followed by commercial lunar operations.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Packer Engineering | Supporting Organization | Industry | Naperville, Illinois |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Alabama
-
Illinois
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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.