Numerous NASA applications exist for high temperature robotic exploration programs to hot destinations like Venus or Mercury. Likewise, NASA-sponsored earth science programs in hot locales like boreholes, volcanoes, and deep sea vents may similarly benefit. Active cooling in non-cryogenic environments will be a key technology for next-generation high temperature exploration missions.
While commercial space operators are less focused on high temperature robotic exploration, there are a great number of terrestrial/non-space applications in the private sector. A consistent source of inquiries into Honeybee's HT motor products is the oil and gas sector, who utilize such equipment for down-hole inspection and sensing of oil and gas production boreholes. This development is ideally suited for these applications, as the sensors and equipment which can safely be operated at depth is presently sharply limited by the temperature range. Moreover, the borehole dimensions pose a constraint on size, which makes this miniaturized development for end effectors a "perfect fit." Likewise HBR has previously worked with commercial aviation customers who sought HT mechanisms for use on aircraft inside engine fairings. This is another hot, small, environment where customers would be interested in mounting instrumentation and electronics. A small, reliable, chiller could be an enabling technology for a new paradigm of engine and aerospace test equipment.
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