TULIPS 10kW System (TULIPS-TASK)

Reliable power transmission between multiple Lunar or Martian surface elements is essential to Artemis and commercial missions. Missions on the Moon and Mars rely on continuous power for habitats, scientific instruments, rovers, and communication systems. Unlike Earth, where a power grid is well-established, these locations require independent and interconnected energy sources. Surface elements spread across different locations need to exchange power dynamically. Whether it’s sharing excess energy between habitat modules or ensuring rovers stay charged during long-distance travel, a resilient power network optimizes energy usage.Tethered Ultralight Intelligent Power Systems (TULIPS) is a reliable, ultralight DC power grid, qualified for 10 years of operation on the martian surface. The project will design, demonstrate, and qualify the lightest and most efficient power conversion and transmission solution, leveraging JPL’s state of the art TYMPO system. While the full TULIPS system proposes a 0.5 kW, 10 kW, and 50 kW system, this work would focus on the 10 kW system to enable near-term Mars and Moon applications. It will rapidly build a 10 kW transmission system operable on either planetary body.Project Objectives include:  Define and document tether power and communications system requirements, including 10 kW power conversion systems, a 1 km tether, 10 kW tether, and spooling system.Develop, build, and perform laboratory testing on a complete breadboard TULIPS system, including assessment of viability of meeting system requirements.Develop, build, and perform laboratory testing on a complete prototype TULIPS system, including verification and validation of hardware performance against system requirements.Perform an end-to-end field test of a deployed 1 km, 10 kW prototype TULIPS system, demonstrating capability of power and communications over long distance in a field setting.Perform environmental qualification for full Lunar TULIPS system.

​TULIPS provides the lightest power transmission system for planetary surfaces, including power converters scalable from 0.5 to 50 kW, DC circuit breakers to 3 kV, cables for 0.5 to 50 kW systems, cable deployers for lunar mobility systems, and load management software to form medium voltage DC grids. This system targets singificant improvements in the state of the art for medium voltage power conversion systems for space environments, targeting 99% conversion efficiency and 10 kW/kg specific power, metrics essential for deployment of high power systems to minimize thermal losses and reduce mass.TULIPS will leverage TYMPO investments to develop an integrated 10 kW tether system that includes all power, communications, and Lunar-tolerant packaging necessary for near-term deployment to support Vertical Solar Array or Fission Surface Power Systems, providing continuous power to Lunar habitats. These systems are essential for enabling a sustained human presence on the Moon and are adaptable to the Mars environment to enable the first human bases on the Martian surface.

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