Collection and Purification of Lunar Propellant Resources, Phase I

Technology Applications, Inc. (TAI) proposes to advance In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) capabilities by applying advanced cryogenic technology to perform collection and purification of volatile propellant materials extracted from moderate to high vacuum environments such as those found on the Martian and lunar surfaces. In this Phase I program, TAI will perform design and analysis of critical ISRU subsystems and develop innovations in thermal management to demonstrate the feasibility of effective volatile collection, separation, purification, liquefaction, and long-term storage capabilities for cryogenic fluids. Production of propellant from the lunar surface is a technically feasible approach to avoid the cost prohibitive task of launching sufficient amounts of propellant from earth to establish continual human habitation on the moon. When regolith resources are extracted and refined, there exists the potential for sustainable long-term human habitation on the moon and Mars. Thermal system design for an ISRU system will determine the propellant generation power requirements for complete human habitat system specifications.

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.