ACCRETION TECHNOLOGIES

Moon Presence

The Moon Presence, developed for NASA’s 2023 Watts on the Moon Challenge, is a conceptual design to establish a sustainable energy infrastructure on the lunar surface, delivering power to Artemis mission sites. As a mechanical engineering student at Arizona State University, I collaborated with a small multidisciplinary team to create a cable-laying rover system capable of operating in the Moon’s extreme environment. My focus was on designing a robust trenching mechanism and ensuring thermal resilience, addressing challenges like -173°C temperatures, abrasive regolith, and 14-day light-dark cycles.

Our design centered on a solar-powered rover equipped with a trenching tool to lay power cables, connecting solar arrays to habitats. We modeled the trenching mechanism after an electric dog collar laying mechanism, incorporating a scoop-and-conveyor system to displace regolith while minimizing dust generation. The rover’s chassis, modeled after JAXA-Toyota Artemis Rover, was designed for stability on uneven terrain. Primitive ANSYS simulations on ceramic cable coatings validated structural integrity under lunar gravity (1/6th Earth’s) and thermal cycling (-173°C to 127°C). My contribution, as project manager, ensured the system could operate autonomously, aligning with NASA’s goal of scalable lunar infrastructure.

The lunar environment posed unique hurdles: abrasive regolith threatened mechanical wear, while prolonged darkness demanded efficient energy storage. We tackled these by selecting abrasion-resistant materials (e.g., titanium alloys) for the trenching tool and optimizing cable insulation for thermal extremes. Preliminary thermal analysis in ANSYS predicted effective heat management, critical for maintaining cable performance during lunar nights. Coordinating with teammates on power distribution, I ensured the system met NASA’s power delivery target while staying within mass and cost constraints, demonstrating systems-level thinking.

The Moon Presence showcases the ability to blend mechanical design, thermal engineering, and systems integration for space applications. By addressing energy delivery for Artemis missions, this project supports NASA’s vision for sustainable lunar exploration, potentially powering habitats, rovers, and scientific experiments. My contributions highlight skills in CAD, simulation, and creative problem-solving, applicable to aerospace challenges. Future work could involve prototyping the rover and encorporating a real dog-collar trencher into the scaled model, a tentative goal to pave the way for lunar deployment and beyond.

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