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Completed TRL 5 (started at 4, targeting 5)
Moon Tycoon Version 2 will enable and encourage ISRU technology developers, principal investigators, and managers across the Agency to design and visualize various lunar operations and missions with a high degree of photo-realism. Users will be completely immersed in the emulated Moon environment enabling them to gain new knowledge as they explore the lunar surface. Moon Tycoon Version 2 will be released to the NASA Software Catalog for public distribution which will allow external partners, academia, and other interested parties to take part.
This project supports STMD’s “Live” thrust of sustainable living and working farther from earth along with STMD’s “Explore” thrust of transformative missions and discoveries. Moon Tycoon Version 2 is being designed to maximize flexibility and enhance end user capabilities. It will allow users to visualize and interact with detailed 3D models of lunar robots, regolith processing equipment, site preparation equipment, and 3D printed structures. It will also allow users to choose their location on the Moon and it will generate the local surface detail and emulate the sun and earth positions along with local surface lighting conditions. This will allow the user to explore and place robots & equipment at any location on the Moon’s surface while showing extremely realistic detail. Moon Tycoon Version 2 will emulate the predicted rocky and cratered surface of the Moon to a high degree of accuracy and resolution. It will also provide the local expected extreme solar lighting conditions near the lunar South Pole. Moon Tycoon Version 2 will optionally utilize a Virtual Reality headset for completely immersive visualization.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
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