Cosmic-XT, A Truss-Traversing General-Purpose Outfitting Robot

Cosmic Robotics, Inc. proposes the development of Cosmic-XT, an autonomous, self-powered robot designed for truss traversal and outfitting in lunar and space environments. The primary function of Cosmic-XT is to climb, navigate, and outfit Tall Lunar Towers (TLTs) with electrical wiring, sensors, lighting, and other secondary systems. Equipped with truss-grippers, an extendable arm, and a harness installer, the robot moves using an inchworm-like motion to attach and secure electrical components to truss structures. Additionally, the Particle AI error detection system enables real-time identification of issues such as tangled wires and foreign object debris. The NASA SBIR Phase I funding will be utilized to advance the technology to TRL 4 maturity, with milestones including a conceptual system design review, a proof-of-concept harness installer mechanism, and a conceptual design review of the AI-based error detection system. This funding supports proof-of-concept development, de-risking technical challenges such as autonomous wire handling, efficient power usage, and AI-driven error detection. The target market includes NASA and commercial space infrastructure providers, focusing on lunar base construction, on-orbit servicing, and autonomous maintenance. Beyond space, potential applications extend to commercial construction, power line maintenance, oil and gas, and disaster response, where robotic outfitting can enhance safety and efficiency in hazardous or hard-to-reach environments. The lunar market alone is estimated at $170 billion, making Cosmic-XT a viable solution for the long-term sustainable development of space infrastructure.

Cosmic-XT directly aligns with NASA’s mission directives by advancing autonomous robotic capabilities for lunar infrastructure assembly, outfitting, and maintenance. The Artemis program aims to establish a sustainable lunar presence, requiring scalable, autonomous solutions for constructing and maintaining surface structures. Cosmic-XT addresses this need by climbing, outfitting, and inspecting Tall Lunar Towers (TLTs), which are critical for power generation, communications, and habitat support. Its truss-traversing design and modular payload system enable it to perform key tasks such as electrical harness installation, wiring connections, and system inspections—all essential for long-term lunar operations. One of NASA’s identified challenges is robotic autonomy in dynamic environments. Cosmic-XT mitigates these risks with Particle AI, an error-detecting vision-language model that autonomously identifies tangled wires, foreign debris, and structural issues, which aligns with NASA’s Civil Space Shortfalls ID-1540 and ID-680. By reducing human intervention, these processes improve mission efficiency, minimize communication delays, and enhance operational reliability. Moreover, Cosmic-XT supports NASA’s Regolith Excavation and Infrastructure Outfitting (Z-LIVE.05) objectives, as outlined in its scope of “Robotic Assembly Systems and Outfitting for Lunar Surface Construction.” By providing autonomous routing and securing of wiring, inspection of primary structures, and future integration for securing large components, Cosmic-XT enhances NASA’s capability to build and maintain lunar outposts efficiently. Cosmic-XT presents significant commercialization opportunities across space, construction, energy, and infrastructure markets. As an autonomous truss-traversing outfitting robot, it is designed for NASA’s lunar infrastructure needs but extends to on-orbit servicing, terrestrial construction, and industrial maintenance. With the Artemis missions driving lunar development, Cosmic-XT can play a key role in assembling and maintaining Tall Lunar Towers (TLTs) for power generation, communications, and habitat support, capturing a portion of the $170 billion lunar economy. Potential customers include NASA, Astrobotic Technology, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Maxar Technologies. Beyond space applications, Cosmic-XT has strong commercial potential in construction automation, power infrastructure, energy, and disaster response. The $293 billion U.S. commercial construction market increasingly seeks robotic solutions for safer, more efficient infrastructure deployment. Cosmic-XT’s ability to install electrical wiring, lighting, and sensors in hard-to-reach areas makes it attractive to major companies like Turner Construction and Bechtel Corporation. Similarly, in power line maintenance ($2.8 billion), Cosmic-XT could replace human workers in hazardous environments, improving safety and reducing costs for providers such as Duke Energy and American Electric Power. The $43 billion oil and gas industry could also benefit from Cosmic-XT’s autonomous inspection and repair capabilities on offshore rigs and subsea pipelines, minimizing risk and operational downtime for companies like ExxonMobil and Shell. Additionally, the $117 billion emergency and disaster response sector present another commercialization opportunity. Cosmic-XT’s ability to restore electrical grids and communications in hazardous environments makes it valuable for agencies such as FEMA and the Red Cross, which could deploy the technology for rapid post-disaster infrastructure recovery.

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.