Dust-Tolerant Resonant Connectors for Extreme Environments

There are numerous challenges developing reliable and long-lasting charging infrastructures for electronic devices on the Moon and Mars because of the extremely harsh environmental conditions. According to the 2024 NASA Phase I subtopic Z13.05 Components for Extreme Environments, there is a current need for dust-tolerant electrical connectors that can function with light dust coating on lunar and Mars surfaces. This is especially important for critical interface connections to umbilical and transmission line products to enable a continuous human presence and operations on the Moon. When lunar regolith accumulates at the conductive terminals of state-of-the-art (SOA) connectors, it is extremely difficult to reverse and can be a single point of failure for a powering system because of regolith’s strong insulating properties. In the Phase I development, Yank Technologies successfully designed, fabricated, and verified a Resonant Connector system that can deliver over 500W of power even with the accumulation of lunar regolith simulants within and around the connector enclosure. The purpose of this Phase II R&D effort is to advance the Resonant Connector system to operate for extreme lunar environments. Specifically, we will further advance the Resonant Connector system to meet many TRL 6 requirements to better prepare the system for future NASA lunar missions. This includes optimizing the system for Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP), integrating safety and indication controls, incorporating space-grade components and materials, and conducting applicable reliability and environmental testing, such as thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock testing.

The primary NASA applications for Resonant Connectors are critical electrical interface components that can be used for a myriad of lunar and planetary umbilical and transmission line applications. For example, this includes landers, robotic vehicles, solar array stations, and fission surface power systems. Resonant Connectors are essential for establishing reliable, long-lasting infrastructures and electrical connections and can be utilized for a wide range of NASA mission programs, such as the Artemis program, the International Space Station, and Mars Exploration. Crossover vehicles often experience significant difficulties maintaining durable wire harness connections for removable doors. Removable doors are a prominent feature of crossover vehicles but require vehicle owners to physically remove the wire harnesses underneath the instrument panel every time the door is removed and mounted back onto the vehicle. These wire harness terminals are often damaged due to weather exposure and repeated use and have been widely criticized for not being user-friendly. Resonant Connectors can drastically improve user experience and increase product reliability for automotive manufacturers. Therefore, the Resonant Connector system is a dual use technology that is directly applicable to both commercial and government applications. Throughout the Phase II development, Yank Technologies will focus on commercializing Resonant Connector systems for the crossover vehicle market.

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.

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