Lunar Truss Design and Construction

Building on the Phase 1 results, the Phase II proposed work will produce an automated assembly technique that can build a 50m tower on the lunar surface. This will be demonstrated at a TRL level 5 or above. Additionally, advancements to RFSSW machine design for survivability in the lunar environment will be shown, and design improvements will be made that benefit both extraterrestrial and earth-based products. The relevance and significance of the proposed Phase 2 innovation to the original topic are directly aligned to the overall objective of contributing to the development of lunar infrastructure manufacturing processes. These efforts also apply to Mars habitat construction methods for infrastructure. RFSSW joining technology is inherently energy efficient, but an additional benefit is the possibility to manufacture truss elements using solid state processing such as friction extrusion (FE). Should friction extrusion be implemented, the geometry of the truss elements is well suited to the length and cross-sectional capabilities of a moon-based FE system. Assembly of truss-based structures is one of the leading candidates for establishing some of the early lunar infrastructure.  Automated assembly using fasteners presents challenges related to the management of the large quantity of small parts, whereas an integral joining technique such as Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding (RFSSW) can be used to produce an automated assembly technique that can build a 50m tower on the lunar surface. This will be demonstrated at a TRL level 5 or above.  Additionally, advancements to RFSSW machine design for survivability in the lunar environment will be shown, and design improvements will be made that benefit both extraterrestrial and earth-based products.  The relevance and significance of the proposed Phase 2 innovation to the original topic are directly aligned to the overall objective of contributing to the development of lunar infrastructure manufacturing processes. These efforts also apply to Mars habitat construction methods for infrastructure as well as earth based applications in aerospace and automotive markets.   The automated assembly of lunar truss towers using robotic material handling and refill friction stir spot welding will be demonstrated such that the strength, precision and environmental viability are shown to achieve a minimum of TRL 5.  Deliverables will include a demonstration of automated tower construction and a complete analysis showing the system design, joint strength and environmental compatibility of the components with the lunar surface.

Beyond earth, RFSSW is a low energy flexible and high strength joining process that, with modifications to the machinery for off-earth operation, can be applied to various manufactured products.  Considering plans for lunar habitation and preparation for the journey to Mars, the market for lunar RFSSW is not insignificant. Applications like airplane manufacturing can use automated management of the RFSSW weld head on a robot end effector.  Automotive use of aluminum is increasing, and body sheet metal is a good application for RFSSW.  This project improves the suitability of RFSSW for aviation and automotive applications.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.