Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
2494 The University of Texas at San Antonio (144382)
Principal Investigator: Whittington, Alan
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 38,837
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): No
Start and End Dates: 6/1/21 - 6/19/22
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Sciences
Department, Center, School, or Institute: Center for Advanced Measurement in Extreme Environments
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: STTR: Induction Furnace-Nozzle for Forming and Placing Lunar Regolith Bricks for Landing Pad Construction
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
Astroport Space Technologies, Inc.
CFDA: 43
Program Title: none
Note:
SAMs 1.1.1 The applied research focus for this research project is on integration of the induction furnace and nozzle (an Induction Furnace-Nozzle) for regolith brick production. Proposed is a system and method for in-situ construction of launch and landing pads using a 3D print material process for planetary surface infrastructure development. The innovation is an integrated induction furnace and nozzle for in-situ 3D printing and landing pad construction using lunar regolith. Through applied research, we combine two elements into one "innovation": 1) The furnace element uses an induction heater for reducing regolith feedstock into a fluid melt, which can be applied to a variety of solidification applications, and 2) The nozzle element enables single-step lunar regolith melting, brick production and placement for landing pad creation or any flat hardened surface area such as roads or foundations.
Discussion: No discussion notes