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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Recent efforts within NASA’s Robotic Assembly Community (e.g., ARMADAS, PASS, TLT, VSAT) have developed modular structural elements and multi-agent robot systems for building complex lightweight structures, telescope array backbones, and tall towers in space. The teams have demonstrated the potential of these construction methods by building various structures with assembly agents ranging in complexity from astronaut assembly to teleoperated robotic arms to fully autonomous multi-agent systems. These structures will need to be outfitted (i.e., sub-system integration) for functionality, including power, data, fluid, gas, and other utility lines, solar panels, insulation blankets, other functional modules, and more.
The long-term goal is to have a robust and growing tool kit of structural units, functional modules, and robotic agents to help build the future of space exploration.
This project advances robotic construction techniques by identifying several workable prototypes for the integration of subsystems (power, data, fluids, etc.) into assembled structures — a crucial step for making robotic-built structures mission-ready.
By leveraging external 3D modeling experts and designers, NASA was able to tap into broader creativity, yielding solutions that NASA might not have developed internally. These prototypes can be tested, validated, and iterated upon, potentially accelerating TRLs.
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — 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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