Just as electric vehicle charging stations begin to become commonplace on earth, a pair of companies will work to bring charging tech to the moon.
The two firms, Albuquerque-based mPower Technology and Honeybee Robotics out of Longmont, Colorado, are working together to design a "vertically deployable solar array" system for the surface of the moon as part of a NASA project. Such systems may, one day, be used to recharge rovers, battery packs and other electrical equipment used by spacecraft and astronauts, according to a release from the two firms.
NASA announced Honeybee's participation in the design of vertically deployable solar array systems in March, and spokeswoman Kristyn Damadeo confirmed that mPower is a subcontractor on May 26. Honeybee is a research and development engineering company that creates robotic systems. It serves the spacecraft, planetary exploration, defense robotics, medical devices, mining, and oil and gas industries, according to the release.
The concept, called a Lunar Array Mast and Power System, will extend more than four stories into the air. One of the technologies incorporated into the design is DragonSCALES, a solar solution offered by mPower that uses customizable silicon cells. The technology is flexible and designed to withstand harsh space environments. The cells can be interconnected using "semi-conductor type assembly processes," and the modules can be customized to meet certain design considerations, according to mPower's website.
"Having reliable power sources on the Moon is key to almost anything we do on the surface. By working with five different companies to design these prototype systems, we are effectively mitigating the risk that is inherent to developing such cutting-edge technologies," said Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, in a March statement.
To date, mPower has disclosed $5.3 million in investment in Securities and Exchange Commission filings, with $1.3 million reportedly converted into equity securities in connection with an offering. Its technology was originally developed at Sandia National Laboratories as part of a larger project, CEO Kevin Hell and CTO Murat Okandan previously told Business First. The company previously had a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the military, per the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
MPower was formed in 2014, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State. The company's Albuquerque headquarters are located at 5901 Indian School Road NE, with an additional office in Carlsbad, its website says.
