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Volatile Release from Mars/Lunar Regolith by Mechanical Agitation
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Description
Proposal will investigate the extent to which mechanical agitation causes release of simulated solar wind particles implanted in lunar regolith simulant by crushing or grinding the material, or by normal surface operations such as excavation, geotechnical testing, or regolith conveying.
Benefits
There is a strategic demand for Helium-3 on Earth and this proposal will advance technology to obtain the abundant He-3 on the surface.
Details
| Technology area | Exploration Destination Systems > In Situ Resource Use > Resource Acquisition, Isolation, and Preparation |
| Program | Agency Independent Research and Development (A-IRAD) |
| Lead organization | Kennedy Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, FL |
| Start date | 2025-11-01 |
| End date | 2026-09-30 |
Project contacts
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
How to get involved
This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
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.