Surface System Dust Mitigation, Phase I

The proposed effort will perform a detailed examination of dust mitigation and tolerance strategies for connections and mechanisms to be employed on the lunar surface. These strategies will be examined by characterizing the effects of lunar dust simulants on the function of basic mechanical and electrical components, and the effectiveness of tolerance or mitigation strategies in lessening those effects. The project will be led by Honeybee Robotics, with consultation and support from Dr. Masami Nakagawa of the Colorado School of Mines as well as consultation with Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.

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.