Students from University of Virginia are building robots designed to mine lunar soil and construct protective barriers as part of NASA\u2019s Lunabotics Challenge at the Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n
The 22-member student-run Mechatronics and Robotics Society, known as MARS, developed robots capable of operating in simulated lunar conditions. The machines are designed to excavate regolith, transport it across rough terrain, and build berms that could one day support future Artemis moon missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, the competition is to mine lunar regolith and then to build a berm with it,\u201d said Craig Kalkwarf, the team\u2019s senior mechanical lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is that for future missions to the moon, it would be useful to have that capability to protect the area around launch pads, shield cryogenic propellants and other similar items.\u201d<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s competition tests more than robotic digging. Teams must design machines capable of handling the moon\u2019s fine, abrasive soil while operating efficiently under difficult terrain conditions similar to those astronauts may encounter during long-term lunar missions.<\/p>\n
Robots shape moonbase<\/p>\n
The berms built by the robots are meant to reduce the amount of dust kicked up during spacecraft landings. The structures could also help shield infrastructure and stored fuel on the moon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we store cryogenic propulsion propellants on the moon, we can cover them in regolith, which insulates them, keeping them cold, requiring less energy,\u201d Kalkwarf said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRadiation bombards the surface of the moon, and people living there for an extended period of time need radiation protection. We can take lunar regolith and cover human habitats to protect them from radiation.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the team<\/a>, lunar soil behaves differently from regular Earth sand, creating engineering challenges for excavation systems.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a baby powder consistency, where it\u2019s very small particles, it\u2019s very light and fluffy, but then it also gets dense fast,\u201d Kalkwarf said.<\/p>\n \u201cIts really unique materials behave really strangely.\u201d<\/p>\n The team originally built two robotic systems, including a two-robot setup where one machine excavated soil while another transported it like a dump truck. However, the students ultimately selected a single 80-pound robot for the competition after it delivered stronger test results.<\/p>\n Sand court testbed<\/p>\n \u201cIt does it all,\u201d Kalkwarf said. \u201cIt drives around, it excavates the lunar regolith, and then it dumps the regolith.\u201d<\/p>\n