H_BlackLine
Facilities
FIRESTAR TECHNOLOGIES
1122 FLIGHT LINE RD #76
MOJAVE, CA 93501

Jet Lift Excavation

Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corporation and Firestar Engineering formed a working relationship to investigate jet-lift excavation of lunar regolith for in-situ resource utilization (i.e. oxygen generation.)  Jet-lift excavation is an attractive solution for power reduction during the collection of regolith, and may facilitate more effective regolith heating required for post processing.   Phase II investigations are underway with this contract.





Principal Investigator:

Kris Zacny, Honeybee Robotics

Publications:

K. Zacny, D. McKay, R. Mueller, P. Chu, J. Craft, and G. Mungas, Novel Method of Regolith Sample Return from Extraterrestrial Body using a Puff of Gas. IEEEAC#1083 (2010).

K. Zacny, G. Galloway, R. Mueller, J. Craft, G. Mungas, G. Paulsen, M. Hedlund, and P. Chu, Pneumatics on the Moon: Drilling and Sampling Using Gas, NLSI, NASA ARC. 21-24 July (2009).

K. Zacny, R. Mueller, G. Galloway, J. Craft, M. Hedlund, G. Mungas, and J. Wilson, PERCUSSIVE AND PNEUMATIC APPROACHES TO LUNAR EXCAVATION AND MINING, Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Science Symposium, Toronto, 7-10 June (2009).

K. Zacny, R. Mueller, G. Galloway, J. Craft, G. Mungas, M. Hedlund, and P. Fink, Novel Approaches to Drilling and Excavation on the Moon, AIAA-2009-6431, Space 2009. (2009)

K. Zacny, G. Mungas, P. Chu, J. Craft, K. Davis, MarsVac: Pneumatic Sampling System for Planetary Exploration, P53A-1427, AGU, 15-19 Dec. (2009).

K. Zacny, G. Mungas, P. Chu, J. Craft, E. Mumm, M. Hedlund, P. Fink, K. Davis, Marsvac: A Two Step Regolith Sampling System, LPSC XXXX (2009).

K. Zacny, G. Mungas, C. Mungas, D. Fisher, and M. Hedlund, Pneumatic Excavator and Regolith Transport System for Lunar ISRU and Construction, AIAA SPACE 2008 Conference & Exposition, AIAA-2008-7824, (2008).

K. Zacny, G. Mungas, L. Parrington, C. Mungas, and D. Fisher, Pneumatic Excavator for Extraterrestrial Applications, STAIF 2008 (2008). K. Zacny, G. Mungas, C. Mungas, D. Fisher, and M. Hedlund, Pneumatic Excavator and Regolith Transport System for Lunar ISRU and Construction, AIAA SPACE 2008 Conference & Exposition, AIAA-2008-7824, (2008).

K. Zacny, G. Mungas,  L. Parrington, C. Mungas, and D. Fisher, Pneumatic Drill and Excavator for Planetary Exploration, the Seventh International Conference on Mars, #3010 (2007).

K. Zacny, G. Mungas, C. Mungas, D. Fisher, M. Hedlund, Pneumatic Lunar Regolith Excavator. Space Resources Roundtable IX. (2007).